The Silver Arrow
by Zoram Selrof
Summary: Sequel to Golden Star's Reign. It's been one month since Golden Star's disappearance and Hikari Netto has begun middle school. However, things soon get jumpy when a new gang, Silver Arrow, starts their operations:their members are pros and very dangerous types. This time their friends get dragged into the conflict as well and things will become very dreadful. Rated M for lemon.
1. Chapter 1: Anger's flames

**The Silver Arrow**

**By Zoram Selrof**

**Chapter 1: Anger's flames**

09:09 AM (Japan Time), Sunday September the 5th, 2006…

"… Huh… So this is the place…"

A young boy walked inside of a room.

He was about eleven years old and appealed as being around a meter and fifty tall more or less.

His hair was gray in color and was slightly combed yet it had a rather uncared for look: his eyes' irises were blood red, though.

He wore a cyan top with a hood, blue jeans and white / red sneakers.

"Wow. What a place."

The room was wholly metallic and had fluorescent tubes as illumination.

The room was divided in two levels: the ground level and a platform: five wide steps interconnected them.

The ground floor and a lone entry/exit armored door and large servers, wiring cabinets with routers and switches and wiring filled both walls.

There were two AC ducts covers set on the tallest spot of the platform's walls.

The other piece of furniture included a white plastic desk shaped like a pentagon which had an integrated LCD monitor there.

The far wall had a large emblem which was a bow arrow aiming NE colored silver.

"Welcome."

"Huh! Eh… G-good morning…"

"Come in. I don't bite."

There was a tall person standing behind the desk: they were about a meter and ninety tall.

Their clothes were a single and simple black tunic with the silver arrow emblem imprinted on the chest and a heavy hood hid their face.

"Welcome. Obihiro Shun." The person greeted.

"Who are you, sir?" Obhiro Shun asked him.

"... Ah. Excuse me. I have not introduced myself yet. I am the current Leader of this organization… Janus. If you don't mind it then you can call me "Janus – sama" as well…" The man stated in a slightly amused tone.

"Janus – sama… So, sir… You were the caller who told me to come here yesterday?" Obihiro guessed.

"… Correct. I called you for a reason: I want to grant you power." Janus replied.

"Power…? Eh… I do not see why I should need that, sir…" Obihiro frowned and trailed off.

"Heh, heh, heh… No, no… You _need_ it. Else… You will be made a fool of in the years to come… You have intelligence: I've seen your IQ test results and they are splendid for someone of your age… You're ten years old, yet you have a fantastic IQ… But you're just a mere fifth grader! Isn't that shameful? Don't you feel rabidly, overwhelmingly and vehemently disgusted?" Janus exposed.

"… True! That's what I feel…! They look down on me…! They feed me with stuff which is way below my intelligence…! Yeah…! Power…! Power would help me walk _my_ road and not theirs!" Obihiro muttered with some frustration on his voice.

"Heh, heh, heh… Well then… Let's get serious! The mask party is already over." Janus sounded amused.

"Huh? What? Mask party…?"

"Yo and behold! Abracadabra!"

Janus suddenly emitted a bright flash which forced Obihiro to close his eyes and shield them.

"Whoa!"

His jaw hit the floor when he opened his eyes again.

There was a guy where Janus had been at.

This newcomer looked around twelve or thirteen years old and close to a meter and sixty tall.

He had messy jet black hair and crimson red – irises eyes.

A red bandana was tied around his forehead and it had the silver arrow symbol drawn on its center.

He wore a purple vest over a black shirt and sported had navy blue jeans.

His sneakers couldn't be seen because the desk blocked his view.

He also had a golden and silver Link PET placed within his right arm's strap.

"W-who are you? Where did Janus go to? Wasn't he there just a minute ago?" Obihiro asked.

"I told you! This was a mask party. This is my true identity: Nakayami Ivan!" He announced.

"Na… Nakayami Ivan? Huh… Then… That was a 3D image?" Obihiro guessed while looking surprised.

"Yo!" A voice rang out.

A Navi showed up out of nowhere behind Ivan's right shoulder:

His helmet's forehead had the _gin_ Kanji set on it and colored golden.

Some silver-colored hair could be seen coming from behind the helmet and his eyes' irises were red and golden.

His bodysuit was black and had purple forearms and boots with some silver-colored DNA-like patterns set on them.

His emblem was the silver-colored bow arrow.

He had three parallel thin vertical silver lines traveling down his body from the neck and shoulders to the hips.

"A Ne… Net Navi! In the real world…? Wait! That's gotta be a "Copy Roid"! I thought they'd been rounded up…!" Obihiro gasped.

"I'm Sergei. It's nice to meet cha." He announced.

"So! You must be wondering what this is about, Obihiro… It's easy: we two used to be agents of the Net Mafia "Golden Star". However… They appointed us with continuing their legacy after they went underground last month."

"Whoa! THE "Golden Star", you say…! I heard rumors that even the "Net Saviors" had trouble with their incredibly overwhelming power and tactics!" Obihiro whistled in surprise.

"Now… Do you still wish power?" Sergei asked.

"I do!"

"Then lend to us your Link PET for a minute. We're gonna install it." Ivan requested.

"Please have it."

Obihiro walked over to the desk and placed a purple and gray Link PET without an emblem on the desk: Ivan connected it to the computer and typed some commands while Sergei looked on over his right shoulder with a broad grin across his face.

"O.K.! It's done."

Ivan handed it back to Obihiro, who looked at it.

"Whoa… Let's see…" He muttered.

He engaged the holographic display and jumped off the ground from the surprise.

"W-WHOA!"

The Navi who projected out of the Link PET with the hologram was clearly custom – made.

Black shades hid his eyes while a sturdy ivory helmet protected his head: three levels of reddish curved stripes circled its whole diameter.

His body was mainly colored ivory although his boots and forearms were colored in a forest green color: some random black-colored diamonds were scattered across his forearms and legs.

His emblem was a simple hollow diamond set in the midst of a cross which was colored red: the inside of the diamond was colored ivory.

The Navi's right arm ended into an integrated one-barreled pump shotgun which had some thin greenish stripes running across the length of the barrel and which were glowing with a slowly increasing and fading greenish glow.

His boots were colored light brown and had two round circles set there.

"I am Hunter Man. From today onwards, I shall be your personal Net Navi, Shun – sama." The Navi announced.

"Shun – sama… Yeah! Address me that way."

"By your orders."

The Navi bowed again and the display turned off.

"Heh, heh, heh. This looks cool… So… In exchange… I've gotta join you guys' organization?" He guessed with an evil smile.

"Yeah. We are - Silver Arrow. This name shall soon be carved into the world's history. An age of terror and fear is gonna start." Ivan confirmed.

"And with our resources… We "Demon Tribe" shall be resurrected and the world shall become our property!" Sergei announced as he extended his right hand forward as if trying to grasp the whole of the world.

"… _O. K._! I'm now a member of Silver Arrow. Let's start!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…!"

07:17 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday September the 7th…

"… Heh, heh, heh… Take that! I win! Akihara City's Super Special Perfect Net Battle Champion, Hikari Netto has come! Heh, heh, heh!"

"Scramble alert! A "Zoanoroid" is invading Net Police's HQ Cyber World Area 5! Scramble alert!"

"Damn the "Zoanoroids"…! We won't hand Trill over!"

CRASH! THUD!

"Groah!"

"So?"

Hikari Netto had fallen from his bed in a rather sloppy manner and had hit the ground with his head while his feet were still on the bed: he looked like he was wide awake by now.

"Grah…"

He noticed Rock Man EXE - sporting his bodysuit but sans the helmet - looming over him and looking unimpressed.

"Ow…! It hurts…! Saito – niisan…!" Netto groaned.

"7:19 AM."

"No way!" Netto gasped.

He quickly picked his middle school uniform, a pair of boxers and the socks before he closed himself in the bathroom.

"Hum."

Saito heard him washing his face and using the toilet.

"Let's see if he beats the record."

He came out less than five minutes later, being fully dressed: he quickly arranged the bed in less than four minutes and ran downstairs.

"… Eight minutes." Saito calmly muttered.

He walked downstairs and spotted Netto eating two toasts with some strawberry jam into them: his break time _bento_ was set on the table as well.

"Gruh! I gotta have breakfast!" He uttered.

Haruka was humming a tune as she flipped through the daily newspapers.

"Hum, hum!"

Netto quickly ate the toasts and ran towards the entrance to put his street shoes on and store the slippers as he loaded the backpack.

"7:35 AM." Saito announced.

"Sorry, sorry!" Netto apologized.

"Otouto: I'm not your personal alarm clock." Saito insisted.

"Sorry, sorry!"

"Okay. But this is the second time ever since yesterday, when you began middle school. You've gotta improve or else things will be bad." Saito folded his arms.

"Grah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"… 7:38 AM."

"No way! Huh… Come anytime! I'm going, Mama!"

"Be careful!"

Netto rushed out and slammed the door shut while Saito stood in the entrance while looking resigned.

"Netto can be hard to handle when waking up… Sorry for the burden, Saito." Haruka told him.

"I don't really mind it, Mama, but I think it's about time he turned serious. I mean… He's now a middle school student! He should think of changing his habits." Saito rolled his eyes.

"Will you please give me hand with the vacuum cleaner?"

"Sure. I'll clean upstairs first. Otouto will be able to handle everything fine, anyway. I'll drop by there by break time." Saito shrugged.

"Thank you, Saito."

"Don't mind it, Mama! I want to be helpful."

Saito picked the vacuum cleaner and began to cleanse upstairs while humming a tune.

"… Blues." Ijuuin Enzan called out.

Enzan was sitting on his revolving chair placed inside his office at the IPC tower: he'd left the Link PET on the desk next to his PC and Blues appeared with the holographic display.

"What is it, Enzan – sama?" Blues asked.

"Go and arrange the usual stuff." Enzan blinked him an eye.

"Please leave it to me, Enzan – sama." Blues looked amused.

"… Oi, oi… Nenjiro! Where are ya? Come out!"

"No! You overwork me! You exploit me!"

"That's not true, Nenjiro!"

"I AIN'T "NENJIRO"!"

"Whoa!"

Rokushadama Nenji was discussing with "Asteroid" Napalm Man, who looked annoyed: he was inside of Rokushadama's PC.

"But we haven't done anything for five days! That's not "overworking", ya see!" He argued.

"And that's because you spent a whole week trying to come up with new color, speed and pattern combinations! You only wanna be hired by that rich girl who's Rock Man's friend! You're no more than a mercenary! Hmpf! Net Navis aren't there to be overworked!" Napalm Man shot back while looking annoyed.

"Man. I only wanna see smiles' on people's faces!" Rokushadama argued back.

"Shaddup! I'm off to venting out!"

"… Good morning, Saito."

"Blues. You came to arrange stuff?"

"Obviously."

Saito was cleansing their bedroom when Blues showed up on the PC's screen with a smile.

"Yeah. When?" Blues asked.

"Hmmm… I should speak with otouto, but I doubt them getting too much of a workload, so… Maybe Friday would do fine." Saito suggested after thinking about it.

"Friday? It seems like a good choice. I'll drop by the school at break time when you go speak with Netto." Blues smiled.

"Sure." Saito smiled back at him.

"Huh? Who…?" Blues suddenly muttered.

"Huh? What's wrong, _Buruusu_?" Saito asked.

"… I thought there was someone." Blues admitted.

"But there's an ACL installed: only a few Navis can come in and out of this LAN." Saito frowned.

"I knew that. But I got that feeling… Maybe it's paranoia." Blues muttered while facing Saito again.

"Is that so…" Saito was frowning.

"Just don't mind it. I'll be going." Blues replied.

"Okay." Saito smiled.

"See you around."

Blues departed the computer but he failed to spot a figure wearing a red mantle-like cloth which covered the upper torso from the front and reached towards the waist from the rear: they looked rather amused.

"Heh, heh, heh…" They chuckled in a low tone while using a slightly pitchy voice.

"… So! Ms. President – sama. Where do we go to?"

"Hmmm… Jawaii would do fine."

"Islands, huh? I wonder why your Navi isn't name Island Man."

"Dunno."

Charlie Airstar looked unimpressed as Tesla Magnets decided her next holiday spot.

"Island Man…? That sounds too silly." Magnet Man grumbled.

"Yeah… Charlie… Try to have some imagination next time." Gyro Man shrugged.

"But Father sees that Tesla won't be settled so easily!" Gauss Magnets muttered as he cleansed the room with the vacuum cleaner.

"… Phew! Thank goodness. We finally got rid of that guy thanks to the start of middle school."

"Heh, heh, heh… It'd seem Buda – sama came to your rescue, Maha Jarama…"

"It might have been the case, Dr. Wily – sama."

Maha Jarama was chatting with Dr. Wily as he came over: he was having a glass of water.

"So? The others are still on their way here?" Dr. Wily asked.

"True. Count Elec and Madoi tend to be fast, but Hinoken seems to be insisting on running Net Battles to put Fire Man's skills to test. Isn't that right, Magic Man?" Maha replied before asking him.

"Correct, Maha Jarama – sama." He replied.

"Heh, heh, heh… Well… It'd seem those two guys have been quiet as of late. I wouldn't be surprised if they popped out to stage an incident of their own." Wily commented with a smile.

"… * yawns *… Who had the bright idea to place Math as the day's first subject?"

"Dunno."

"As usual!"

"Hmpf!"

"That face says it all."

Netto's group was chatting inside of their classroom during break time: Netto looked sleepy, Hikawa Tooru was unimpressed, Ayanokouji Yaito looked used to it, Ooyama Dekao grumbled and Sakurai Meiru seemed calm.

"Huh? What does it say, Meiru – chan?" Dekao suddenly sounded eager to know.

"You still won't come to terms with reality." Meiru replied.

"Eh? What?" He frowned.

"In short: cha won't accept that cha can't do "Cross Fusion"!" Yaito put up a smug smile.

"DAMN THEM!" He roared.

"Trouble, trouble…" Hikawa grimly muttered.

"Yeah. Stubborn…" Netto muttered.

"Guts, guts! Oi! Rock Man! Where were you, de guts?" Guts Man asked all of a sudden.

"I was revising security at home." Rock Man replied.

"Ah! Rock Man. Is security fine?" Netto asked with a grin.

"Yeah, Netto – kun."

"Tee, heh, heh! But I know of someone who always slips by it!" Roll teased with a giggle.

"That is because…" Glyde began.

"We are allowed through, desu!" Ice Man finished for him.

The group was standing inside the Cyber World: it kept the shape of the classroom and there were seats and desks for the Navis as well.

"Oh. Someone's coming." Rock Man grinned.

Something ran in through the door and dashed past some of the Navis until Rock Man stopped him by getting in the middle: Blues was the newcomer.

"Hiya."

Glyde, Ice Man and Guts Man looked at them to see that they had a golden medal with a red ribbon each one with the phrase "Prize to the slowest Navis on Earth" written on it.

"Blues?" Roll asked.

"Good morning. Did you like my subtle joke?" He greeted with a broad smile.

"Guts, guts! I'm slow, de guts?" Guts Man wondered.

"Maybe, desu…" Ice Man muttered.

"I was never one for speed…" Glyde muttered.

"Yo! Blues! What's up?" Netto greeted.

"It's about the training… Do you think Friday would be a good day to pick off, Netto?" Blues asked.

"Hum… Yeah. I think so. If something were to pop out, I'd call Enzan to postpone it." Netto confirmed.

"Training, huh? It must be intense!" Roll commented.

"Yeah. I clearly need to improve my sword techniques." Rock Man admitted with a smile.

"But you're improving." Blues complimented.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah…!" A voice rang out.

They gasped and looked at the teacher's spot: Sergei was standing there while having that mantle on.

This mantle covered the upper torso from the front and extended until under the waist from the back: it was decorated with two golden diamonds which were the origin of string made of gray and hollow horizontal diamonds.

His piece of cloth was tall enough to almost hide his head when seen from behind and the interior had yellow and gray patterns drawn into it.

"Sergei!" Blues and Rock Man gasped.

"No way!" Netto uttered.

"Hiya! We meet again. It's been a month! How rude of me… I'd almost forgotten about your title… Cousin Saito." He announced with a smile.

"You're not gonna tell me you've scripted this, too." Netto grimly muttered.

"Yep! Behold!"

He snapped his right hand's fingers: the cyber classroom's door suddenly slammed shut.

"What!"

The ground beneath Sergei dissolved and a gigantic Choina dragon's head colored dull green emerged: the classroom's ground shook and became a steep ramp with two round ends.

"Impossible!"

The north end, placed slightly further in than the statue's head, had a doorway with the word "Land" written into its center.

"Whoa~h!"

The Navis rolled down the ramp until they ended in the bottom level and hit the round walls of it: the rest of the floor around the structure faded to be replaced by cyber magma.

"W-whoa! He changed the whole Cyber World!" Roll gasped.

"Guts!"

"Unbelievable…!" Glyde gasped.

"You lowlife!" Blues growled.

"Sergei…!" Saito hissed.

"Well. I don't mind who comes to these borders. Just listen to my _anger_ for a little while." Sergei announced in a strange tune of voice and looking slightly amused.

"Anger…?" Netto wondered.

"The grunts managed to catch the sacred maiden at last. So when I got a hold of it I just happened to rush and come over, you know?" He announced next.

"Not again with the maiden…" Saito grumbled.

Sergei suddenly lowered his glance and looked annoyed.

"… Queen – sama's pawns interfered again…" He grumbled.

"Queen – sama, you say…? You mean the "Ice Queen" Twilight talked about?" Blues demanded.

"… This time it was… That…" He muttered.

"Whom do you mean?" Saito demanded.

"… Young quick-paced pawn of the Queen - sama…!" He announced while looking forward with a scary face and sounding furious.

"HUH? Young quick-paced pawn…? What an odd description!" Meiru sounded bewildered.

"That maiden is something totally irreplaceable for the resurrection of our Lord!" Sergei exclaimed.

"No way! You're gonna resurrect Twilight?" Netto gasped.

"… Excuse me. Well. I just happen to feel in need of returning this anger, so do you get what I mean?" Sergei looked slightly calmer by now and had a smug smile on his face.

"Damn. I don't like this." Saito grimly muttered.

"No! There's no need to hold back! Slowly… And carefully… Receive my anger's flames." Sergei announced.

The dragon's head opened and a large burning spheroid came out of there: it began to roll down the ramp and everyone jumped to the sides to dodge the thing.

"Huh!"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah…!"

Sergei laughed aloud before he snapped his fingers and warped out while leaving some small golden diamond shapes on the air.

"Shit!"

The spheroid cracked and split open: "Zoan" Flame Man came out of it and he let out a large roar.

"Flame Man!" Rock Man gasped.

"Damn. Anger's flames and Flame Man…! He was being literal." Netto cursed aloud.

"I am a Demon Tribe Soldier: Flame Man! This worthless world shall be incinerated and become the Demon World! Burn! Fire Breath!" He announced.

They all dodged just in time as Flame Man assumed his "Bestialized'" form (beast-like claws and face) and began to run up the ram to then curl and roll down its length.

"What!"

He ran over the group who were trying to give chase and forced Ice Man, Glyde, Guts Man and Roll to "Log-Out" because he hit them and sent them flying across the air.

"Damn. So this is why there's a ramp!" Blues hissed.

"Chaos Flame!"

Golden flames fell down from the sky and both dodged.

"Battle Chip, Wide Shot! Slot In!"

"Blues!" Enzan called out.

"Enzan – sama!"

"Ready?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Battle Chip, Aqua Sword! Slot In!"

Rock Man shot the Wide Shot at the flames which were chasing him while Blues tried to hit Flame Man with the Aqua Sword.

"Hmpf!"

His flames turned green and the attack was repelled.

"Damn. Why didn't it connect?" Blues muttered.

"I remember! Those candles! We've gotta take 'em out!" Rock Man recalled.

"Battle Chip, Boomerang! Slot In!"

"Chaos Flame!"

Flame Man summoned a gigantic Chaos Flame and Blues managed to slice it in half while the Boomerang took out both candles.

"Hmpf! Such level won't be able to defeat me! Sink in despair and hopelessness!"

The candles suddenly regenerated and he assumed sphere shape to roll up the ramp and then roll it down while trying to run over the Net Saviors: they were able to dodge.

"Damn! They've made him harder to beat!" Netto cursed.

"Yeah! We'd need help!" Enzan cursed.

"Winter Storm!"

"What!" Flame Man cursed.

A suddenly winter storm blew across the area and put out the candles while also pushing "Zoan" Flame Man back: he grumbled.

"Who the…!"

"Hmpf."

A tall diamond-like about five meters tall structure formed in the air all of a sudden and it descended until it began to hover 5 centimeters over the ground and rotated clockwise.

"What's that?" Rock Man wondered.

"Reinforcements." Blues calmly announced.

The diamond suddenly expelled cold pressurized air as the upper half began to rotate anti-clockwise and lift up along four hydraulic pistons: condensed water vapor came out of the diamond next: a figure jumped outside of it and landed in the ground.

"I've come."

The vapor dispersed to reveal Freeze Man.

"Freeze Man!" Rock Man gasped.

"Whoa! That thing was cool!" Netto whistled.

"Huff! What heat…! Too much for my taste, truly…! Rock Man! Are you fine? Ops. I guess we hadn't met again yet… Eh…" Freeze Man looked nervous, for once.

"I know you and Shuryou are trying to be good guys, so let's go for it! We gotta beat 'em!" Rock Man replied.

"Heh. That's the spirit. However… Given this room's temperature, I'll have to pull out in three minutes. We've got to try to settle it before that. My diamond can cool me but its systems are being driven to the limit." He smiled but then warned.

"Keep him busy: I'll handle the candles. Rock Man! Finish the jerk off when you get the chance." Blues suggested.

"I like that better. Mountain Spear!" Freeze Man smiled.

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!"

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Spread Gun, Triple Slot In!"

"Hyper Burst!"

The Mountain Spears hit Flame Man's body and he looked at Freeze Man while Blues took out the candles with two clean cuts and Rock Man shot the Program Advance at him: it cleaved through this body.

"Groa~h! But… don't you think… you've won… yet…! The world… shall… become… the Demon World… UO~H!" Flame Man muttered.

His data broke down in a sudden manner but not by fading away like most Navis, but more like he was a sculpture which had suddenly shattered and fell apart while drawing some half-circles: the whole environment returned to the original form of the cyber classroom: the three of them sighed in relief.

"Whoa! It's just 11:28! We cut it in time!" Netto exclaimed.

"Yeah… And we now see what they've been up ever since a month ago. I'm sure more of these await us." Enzan muttered.

"No wonder…" Rock Man fumed.

"Shuryou was concerned over reports of someone having been accessing the school's servers and seemingly trying to change the Cyber World with another one uploaded from an external source. The security reports detailed that it was directly uploaded from a Link PET." Freeze Man explained while wiping off the sweat.

"So! Ivan personally came and began to test if he could pull this off. And I guess he was in the server room today as well." Netto summarized.

"Yeah… In any case… I have to present a report. Rock Man! Blues! Do not lower your guards." Freeze Man told them.

They both nodded in agreement and Freeze Man walked out of the classroom by the door.

"It's almost class time… I'll be going back." Blues announced.

"Yeah. We settle in on Friday for the time being." Saito replied.

"See ya, Netto." Enzan told him.

"Later, Enzan."

Netto quickly shut off the communications screen and brought up his notebook as the bell rang and a teacher came in: he directed one glance at his friends, who nodded in confirmation.

_Niisan. Roll and the others are fine. They're inside of their PETs._

_Good. I'll be keeping watch but I guess Sergei has had enough for today. What a jerk!_ Saito replied before grumbling.

He sat down on a desk and brought up some data about the lesson while his friends' Navis logged in as well and assumed their seats: they all looked panicked.

"What fright!" Glyde muttered.

"Horrible! Desu!"

"What a jerk!" Roll cursed.

"Guts! How terrible! Guts!"

11:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh! What a show you two put up!"

"Thanks, Shun. So? Have we proven that we're serious?"

"I never doubted it."

Ivan and Sergei had gotten back to their hideout and were speaking with Obihiro inside of the server room.

"Well. I have been working for Sergei – sama and Ivan – sama for two weeks, and they have prepared some unique battles for their adversaries to face. They exceed common imagination." Hunter Man added.

"Oh… That sounds like a teaser." Obihiro looked amused.

"Doesn't it?" Ivan grinned.

"Next time, though… We're gonna show up in the news!" Sergei added.

"Yeah… And to think I was there, on the Thousand Amusement Buildings, when those "pillars" showed up… I'd put some distance from there so I barely escaped but…" Obihiro muttered.

"The "Nebula Grey Incident", eh?"

"Yeah. I'd gone to check out on the sci-fi show fans. And I spotted the guys whose classroom you've razed today there talking with a teacher cross-dressing as an astronaut or something like that."

"Heh, heh, heh. You'll soon get to know more about those guys. But, for the time being, we'll leave it at here."

"Sure. Tell me what I gotta do and I'll gladly tackle it."

"I've sent you some documents which you could begin to read. I think they will be challenging enough for your intelligence." Ivan told him.

"Alright! Let's rumble, Hunter Man!"

"Roger, sir."

"Glory to Silver Arrow! Delete~!"


	2. Chapter 2: Key personnel

**Chapter 22: The Fortress Clan**

14:14 PM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 3rd…

"…. Finally… We're gonna storm the 3rd Temple!"

"Be careful. This won't be a walk into the park."

Netto looked eager while Enzan was serious.

"I knew that, Vice President." Netto grinned.

"Jeez." Enzan rolled his eyes.

The Navi team stood in front of the doorway and the three keys set themselves on the slots: the door opened.

"Go!" Blues commanded.

The team stepped into a platform and descended to a wide round room: the ground was metallic and had some straight patterns drawn into it along with small circles and the walls were tall.

"How big…!" Meddy muttered.

There was a ledge with the generator room's door further inside but the wall was too smooth to be climbed: there were some alcoves and balconies present as well but there were no "Safe Zones" at all, so they were continually exposed to slight damage.

"Lovely." Blues grumbled.

"Guess we'll have to be careful to ration our Recovery Battle Chips. We don't wanna run outta 'em." Nenji commented.

"So this is why it becomes the hardest of them: you have no protection and you're forced to fight while having the damage in mind." Laika commented in an analytical tone.

"Correct, "Net Saviors"!" A manly voice rang out.

"We Fortress Clan don't like being looked down on!" A second manly voice rang out.

"Coming." Netto muttered.

Two figures dropped in the middle of the room from atop the smooth wall at the end of it.

"Heh!"

The first figure looked close to a meter and ninety in height and their main color of choice was black.

They had partial black armor over their forehead but the face and the grayish skin were rather unshielded: the top was open too and the sides only had two gun-like pieces of armor aiming backwards and running over the red ear-pads: a small "tail" like in a plane popped out behind his head as well while armor shielded the nose.

Their eyes were simple reddish spots although his "normal" skin could be seen on the slot carved for the mouth.

His chest had a bulky piece of armor shaped like a triangle aiming forward and the top of it had a black and red crest which read "AA" written there: two red lines marked the half of the side-armor height: the upper half was black in color and the lower one purple: there were two small exhausts set next to the ear-pads and two wing-like extensions formed from behind them.

Another two wings were built over the shoulders: they had a red lower edge, a purple main body, a golden stripe, and a blackish segment: they looked like they could be spun on their axis.

The shoulders also had two colors: purple and black, in the inner and outer halves respectively, along with two red circles on their lower ends: some grayish armor with golden edges covered the forearms and a bracelet with a small wing extension had been built circling the wrists: the hands' skin was black.

The outer face of the legs also had that grayish armor made of segments with the golden edges and knee plating: the boots ended in black triangles, one over the ankle and the other over the foot: another wing with a red stripe atop it popped out from there.

He also carried a grayish-armored black energy gun with a curious design on his right hand.

"Hah!"

The second newcomer was way taller than his companion, beating him by over a full meter.

His main color was blood red and his face's skin was teal in color: purplish transparent shades covered his reddish – irises eyes along with some thin gray armor set over his head, the sides of it, and around his jaw: two large red ear-pads were set on the sides of his head too.

His main torso was colored in a shade of brown and had golden edges and marks drawing a circle with a blade-like extension heading downwards: two small curved stripes headed inwards from a thicker golden edge which set the boundary with the shoulders: the central torso's shade of brown was more pallid than the rest of the main body.

The shoulders had two large curved pieces with a main red body, a golden stripe and a black top which looked like weapons: they had a small red triangle aiming downwards on their outer edge close to the top and another stripe heading for the main body.

His arms and hands' skin was purple and the forearms' armor was red in color along with the golden edges: the cuff was black.

Another two red and golden-edged sections climbed up along the sides and fell slightly short of the shoulders: the legs had that same drawing on the outer edges while the inner ones were plain.

Grayish armor ran down the legs near the rear edge and then ran along a stretch of the foot until it formed an arch: a brownish patch of armor was located on the rear of the feet while the fingers were covered by some slight armor.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh! Welcome! We are the leaders of the Fortress Clan. I am Acid Ace DS."

"I am Grave Joker DS! This place shall be your grave! Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Before that… The man known as "B" lived here for five years. Is that correct?" Rock Man questioned.

"Correct." Acid Ace DS confirmed.

"B – dono has a passion for battles." Grave Joker DS added.

"I guess we're gonna have to fight through you guys to reach his Temple, then." Search Man guessed.

"Yeah! Come at us: Net Saviors!" Acid Ace DS challenged.

"Appear: warriors!" Grave Joker DS commanded.

"HOU!"

More foes dropped into the vast room from the balconies set around its edge.

"I am Jack Corvus DS!"

Jack Corvus DS could be anywhere between a meter and fifty and a meter and sixty tall.

He had a grayish helmet with purple lines extending backwards from near the forehead and it split into four diamond-shaped extensions: purplish hair which looked like it was burning emerged behind the helmet.

An orange-colored face-plate protected his face and revealed his blood red eye irises.

The main body was colored in a combination of orange and black and had an emerald set on the chest: a simple piece of gray armor covered the shoulders and another shielded the forearms: his hands looked more like a crow's talons.

Four gray-feathered wings spread backwards: they had an orange inner side and they ended in sharp and cutting feathers.

The feet armor was also rather simple in design but maybe the armor was designed to be able to cut into an enemy too.

"I am Queen Virgo DS!"

Queen Virgo DS was over a meter and eighty tall and her main body color was purple: she seemed to be fashioned after some medieval Western Queen given her dress design.

This dress began as a cylindrical purple hat with an upper golden band and cover: silver armor was set over the forehead and two spikes aimed upwards along the hat: a set of three formed a crown-like shape extending past her head.

A pair of transparent reddish shades protected her eyes the irises of which were golden in color: two strings of bluish hair ran down parallel to her head and another two extended horizontally behind her head.

There was a golden edge drawn around the neck and then grayish armor protected her upper body: a small pendant colored red was set over that armor too: the shoulders were designed as cone-like shapes colored purple with a golden edge and her arms came out from there.

Her arms had square sleeves with two stripes circling them before the cuffs the insides of which were gray: the hands' skin was a bluish color instead.

The waist had white armor encompassing it along with a purple ice hexahedron set on a "V" cavity directly over the navel: a layer of ice marked the boundary with another layer circling the legs but expanding at the same time: they formed a dome-like cavity with another two ice layers and two blackish layers and reached until the foot.

She also had additional partial armor flanking the sides: their upper edge seemed to have a "V" shaped as well, a central bluish blade and golden "L" shaped drawings on the lower edges.

She carried a staff which evolved into a cone having a golden stripe and a second blue stripe: a disk of ice surrounded the central dome and a spear of ice popped out from that dome.

"I am Spade Magnets DS!"

Spade Magnets was a more machine-like design colored black and being around three meters tall yet they didn't have a lower body.

Their face was purple in color and lacked a nose: the eyes were blackish and had red irises while a permanent smile was drawn on his face to make it creepier.

The helmet had a central red stripe and a bronze "Spade" drawing sketched over it: two black "horns" came out from the sides and aimed upwards.

A cavity had been built around the neck but the rest of the body was protected by black armor: two curious structures colored red and blue were set over his shoulders' spheroids: red and blue armor surrounded the wrists and he had two swords of those same colors drawn.

His lower body was but a black energy sphere with purple electricity frizzling through its mass.

"I am Dia Iceburn DS!"

Dia Iceburn DS could be around Jack Corvus DS' height but shorter than Queen Virgo DS and her main color was black.

Her face's skin was white and her eyes' irises blue in color: she had a small nose and an open mouth the insides of which were colored blue.

A cyan edge surrounded the face while the rest of the helmet was black in color and had a red diamond set on the center of it: two diamonds came out of the NW and NE corners and had a smaller central yellow diamond set there.

Her neck had a blue band around it and part of her upper body skin was exposed by the pyramid-like openings of her black and blue suit: a small yellow dot was set on the center of the opening.

A stretch of the arms around the shoulders was exposed and then covered in suit having some diamonds drawn there: thick blue armor surrounded the wrist and fingerless black gloves covered the hands: her fingers were blue in coloring.

The suit then formed two black triangles over the breasts, a cyan central diamond, and a purple-colored segment extending until the knees.

Two side-pieces of armor colored navy blue were attached to the sides of the body and had small spheroids on their ends.

Cyan and blue formed more drawings before, on the knees and after them: she then had navy blue coloring over the legs and small yellow diamonds atop the ankles: the feet ended in a silver-colored piece over the shoes.

These shoes were split into three segments colored black, blue and black respectively.

"I am Club Strong DS!"

Club Strong DS was a giant easily over five meters tall or more which towered over the rest of the group with his gray, black and greenish colors: he looked like some kind of statue even.

His face was covered by moss and he had the "Club" drawing on the stone gray forehead: his eyes were red and with black irises while his mouth was black in color: his whole face looked like a sculpted piece of stone given how part of his head extended backwards as a rectangular piece and across the body: the mouth had some kind of barrel inside.

His main body was a square split in two by a blue stripe: the upper half was gray and the lower black and moss covered the top of this piece as well.

The shoulders formed squares which had the "Club" symbol spun 90º to the left drawn there inside of blue edges: each had moss over them as well: the arms were black in color and then gained thick bracelets with some moss and piece of stone aiming backwards: his fingers were made of stone and were gigantic.

A round stone linked with the waist-block and then with the legs: they began from gray stone blocks and ended in moss-covered boxes with a vertical stripe and a pyramidal body set in front of them.

He carried a gigantic blunt club with a metallic band on his right hand which was his default weapon: its mere size could easily crush any of the "Net Savior" Net Navis even.

"I am Sirius DS!"

Sirius DS was a more "humanoid" design Net Navi who could be two to three meters tall and his design was rather outstanding.

To begin with his face was protected by a blue transparent face-plate and it could be seen that his eyes were closed: some blonde hair came out and extended to the right.

A black helmet in the form of an arrow aiming upwards was built up around the head: it had an orange stripe over the forehead branching backwards: a stylized "S" was drawn slightly upwards too and another stripe formed an arch near the end.

His neck had partial black armor over it but some red patterns extended downwards along a gray mass surrounding it and the base of the neck: it looked like energy being channeled.

The shoulders were anatomically correct and consisted of a build of black and gray: a small segment of purple-skinned arm was exposed before the forearms' armor came in: it had a mainly black body, a patch of dull brown over the hands and an orange "T" pattern: the hands were black-skinned and had five fingers each.

The chest had a glowing diamond with four spikes and four corners set there: the main body was purple in color and had some faint hexagons drawn there while the sides were colored gray.

His legs had an inner purple band with the same hexagons there and an outer gray armor: two hexagons with smaller hexagons insides had been built over the legs too: a small diamond cavity formed where the pieces of the feet combined with the front red piece of each foot.

Four sets of four golden pieces shaped in different manners and held in place by a floating grey diamond extended behind him and made them look like wings: a total of sixteen of them spread behind him.

"I am Moon Disaster DS!"

The last of these warriors was slightly shorter in height than Sirius DS.

His face was colored silver and he had red irises on his eyes: greenish armor formed over the head and then extended in the form of a triangle down his face and nose.

Silver curved armor with spikes protruding from the underside was sculptured over his neck, shoulders and torso and it had a decreasing moon drawing there.

The arms' skin was purple and two small-model moon boomerangs hovered over the forearms: a black bracelet with metallic dots on it surrounded the wrist: his hands' skin was red.

Silver armor covered the flanks of his body and a small-model moon piece of armor crossed over his central purplish body to connect both halves of the armor which ended around the hip: another pair of moon-cutters hovered over them.

The knees had two white dots above and below each connected by thin stripes and forming a trapeze shape: the rear edge was colored golden and so were his soils and part of the feet.

A reddish diamond was set over the feet and a moon-cutter hovered before each ankle.

"They look strong… This is going to be _hard_._ Very hard_!" Enzan grimly muttered.

"We do not "look" strong: we _are_ strong! We shall prove it on this same terrain! Fight!" Grave Joker DS announced.

"… Giza Wheel X!"

Acid Ace DS shot a small disc which had a saw-like edge to it towards the group.

"Darkness Laser!"

Grave Joker DS shot a large laser from his hands.

"Satellite Laser!"

Sirius DS combined his wings to form a cannon and shot.

"Pain Hell Flame!"

Jack Corvus DS hovered in the air and formed some purplish flames which he began to bombard the group with.

"Light of Saint!"

Queen Virgo DS landed in front of them and formed four columns of black light which began to spin around her and repel anything which they hit.

"Strong Swing!"

Club Strong DS began to beat the ground with his weapon and try to land blows on the Net Navis.

"B Ice Hammer!"

Dia Iceburn DS drew a gigantic hammer the head of which was made of ice and hit the ground with it, causing a shockwave of ice.

"Axis Jet!"

Spade Magnets DS suddenly hid his body and closed the two colored pieces to form a rocket-like shape: he was propelled forward using a plasma thruster.

"Moon Boomerangs!"

Moon Disaster DS shot the moon-cutters at them and they bounced back at him after meeting their targets.

"Disperse!" Blues growled.

The Navis got hit since there was no place to take cover and they then dispersed to try to not be sitting ducks.

"Tomahawk Rolling!"

"Meddy Capsule!"

Both Tomahawk Man and Meddy picked Moon Disaster DS: he dodged both attacks and then spun around his axis while shooting out black-colored crescent-moon-shaped boomerangs.

"YO, YO, YO!" He laughed.

"Star Breaker Laser!"

"Elec Blade!"

"Shadow Blade!"

Laser Man, Blues and Shadow Man picked up Grave Joked DS: he smiled and punched the ground to materialize some metallic blocks with red patterns into them: they landed at random in the ground and blocked off some of the attacks.

"Eat this! Grave Swing!"

He swung his punches and hit the three of them, pushing them into the ground and then stepping back.

"Aqua Tower!"

"Satellite Ray!"

Roll and Search Man picked on Spade Magnets DS and Jack Corvus DS: Spade Magnets DS compacted into a rocket form again and hit Search Man: Jack Corvus DS flew into the air and bombarded Roll with purple flames.

"Neo Variable Sword!"

Rock Man tried tackling Acid Ace DS but he quickly dodged and countered with a sword attack which pushed Rock Man into the ground.

"Napalm Arm!"

"Needle Cannon!"

Napalm Man and Needle Man were taking Club Strong DS and Queen Virgo DS on: Queen Virgo blocked the attack intended for her companion and summoned a serpent made of ice which hit Napalm Man while Club Strong hit Needle Man over and over again with the club without giving him a break.

"Tornado Arm!"

"Mag Ball!"

Gyro Man and Magnet Man fought Dia Iceburn DS: she could summon several blocks of ice to block off attacks and then make them ram into her opponents.

"Damn. We're not getting anywhere. They _are_ strong!" Laika cursed aloud while looking nervous.

"Guess it's time for the heavy artillery… Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!"

"UA~H!"

Rock Man transformed into Greiga to everyone's surprise: he readied his claws.

"Greiga Claw!"

He shot forward: he destroyed both Spade Magnets DS and Club Strong DS by using his fire attack plus the multiple high-damage quick attacks with his claws.

"What the…! What power! I've never seen anything like it before in these 15 years!" Grave Joker DS gasped.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!"

"HRA~H!"

Rock Man flew and dived towards Jack Corvus DS: he yanked him and tossed him against Queen Virgo DS.

"What!"

They both were deleted upon impacting with each other and hitting each one's attack, triggering a chain reaction and an implosion of both energies at the same time.

"Not yet!"

Rock Man shot several quick shots from his buster towards Diamond Iceburn DS deleting her as well due to the high degree of attained damage.

"Okay! Guys! Let's go for it!" He rallied.

"Che!" Acid Ace DS grumbled.

Blues and Shadow Man cut Moon Disaster DS into several pieces before he could think of countering.

"Now! Program Advance! Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Dream Sword!"

"Program Advance! Fire, Elec, Bamboo, Aqua Sword! Slot In!"

"Elemental Sword!"

"Program Advance! Cannon, Hi – Cannon, Mega Cannon! Slot In!"

"Zeta Cannon!"

"Program Advance! Hi – Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

"Program Advance! Fumikomi Cross, Triple Slot In!"

"Zeta Fumikomi!"

"Program Advance! Yoyo, Triple Slot In!"

"Yoyo Blade!"

The combination of PAs shot towards the leaders was more than enough to deal with Acid Ace DS: Grave Joker DS was deeply wounded and about to die but he managed to raise his arms to the purple skies.

"B – dono…! We have met a power above our imagination…! Yet…! We fought well! We managed to overwhelm them… These ones… cannot rival thou power…!" He exclaimed before being deleted.

A big platform popped out from the middle of the ground and climbed up: it deployed a bridge to connect with both the sub - generator room and the entry gate.

"Okay. The last sub-generator… Let's go!" Rock Man rallied.

"We'll be heading back to rest and then we'll scout the location of the main generator." Laser Man announced.

The team of three made their way into the sub – generator's room and spotted the typical energy projector system: it was built above the door and the beam was travelling south like they'd guessed.

"Okay. I'm gonna go for it!" Rock Man announced.

He drained the energy of the sub – generator and it stopped working: the sky turned blood red again and the wind seemed to die down: they could hear a series of hums.

"It'd seem that the fortress has entered energy conversation mode until the wind picks up again. It's designed to work like this." Yuuichirou announced.

"Again… This attention to realism and detail… This wasn't created in just one or two years: it must've taken about five years to build such a large and complex thing." Meijin muttered.

"Hmmm… Then it's true that the inhabitants have been around for fifteen years." Netto muttered.

The group undid the path and made it to the entrance hall: they entered the portal and appeared on Internet City.

"The growth of ratio has gone down 300 meters… We'll have to work on improving Saito's Energy Siphon program to see if he can handle three times its current capacity." Yuuichirou announced.

"I'm home!" Rock Man announced as he appeared on the Science Labs' Cyber World.

"You know the drill, niisan." Netto smiled.

Rock Man drew the Rock Buster and let the energy flow out so as to restore another blackened out section.

"Okay! Everyone! I did it: the "Neutral Beam" is complete!" Obihiro exclaimed as he ran into the room.

"Perfect!" Netto grinned.

Hunter Man handed them the copies and everyone installed it: some targets appeared to test their aim.

"Huh… Weapons Mode: Neutral Beam! Shoot!" Rock Man announced as he switched weapons.

A pale while beam shot out and hit the target, causing an echo-like sound to come out.

"It'd seem that it can be used with sound recognition systems to open up locks you couldn't open." Shun explained.

"Heh, heh, heh! Impressive! Really impressive! "Net Saviors"!" A familiar voice told them.

They found the usual possessed Police Navi there.

"You've come up with an intriguing weapon. But that won't be enough to fight me!" Emperor S told them.

"Che. We're gonna see your hide at last! Get ready!" Netto challenged.

"Head north from the main entrance: there's no way to get lost. We shall be waiting… Heh, heh, heh…" Emperor S announced.

"And I'm intrigued at that so-named "Bestialize" ability. That's power itself without any restrain to it: I know when to spot it. I have a knack for those things, I guess. Heh, heh, heh! Let's crack the nut." B added with a hint of intrigue.

"Tee, heh, heh. Things are heating up, it'd seem! Good enough… Enjoy your next trip!" H giggled and sounded amused.

_Prepare yourself!_ Netto mentally challenged.

_We're coming for you guys!_ Saito challenged as well.

"… Man. The "Sealed One" was hard enough to design. I'll have to lower the level for the next ones."

"Guess so…"

Ivan looked tired as he drank a cup of water while Sergei was scratching the back of his helmet.

"Anyway… I better get working on it before Emperor S – sama comes to remind me." Ivan stretched.

"Yeah. But His Grace shall keep those Net Saviors busy enough: he won't make it easy to access his Temple." Sergei grinned.

"… Heh. They'll be comin' 'round in a while. I'll make sure to observe their faces once they discover what's waiting for them."

"Ho, ho, ho. We had a good idea! Didn't we, H – chan?"

"Yeah, B. They're gonna sweat and they're gonna leave a trail of water behind them which will grow into a pond: Net Saviors' Sweat Pond, I'd name it!"

The two cloaked figures and their friend were talking inside of the throne room and they all sounded eager and amused.

"My. Net Saviors' Sweat Pond… It'd become the Cyber World's most hated pond, I'd daresay." Emperor S amusedly commented.

"Tee, heh, heh. And they'd try to erase it as well so as to not let their honor sink… But we'd be there to make a million copies of it!" H giggled.

"You know the motto: "close one website and three new websites will open the next day'"" B added with a hint of amusement.

"Come! Net Saviors! We are waiting for you!" Emperor S challenged.

"While we're waiting… Let's finish with the surprise's arrangements, shall we, chan-chin-chon-chen-chun?" H giggled.

"No that Choina – like rhyme again… It drives me mad!"

"My bad, S. I feel like trolling and kidding today. Tee, heh, heh." H giggled and sounded amused.

"Lovely." Both guys muttered.

"Come, cha guys and gals… And meet a surprise! Tee, heh, heh!"


	3. Chapter 3: Monday the 13th

**Chapter 3: Monday the 13****th**

07:41 AM (Japan Time), Monday September the 13th…

"… Okay! I gotta go. See ya, Mama!"

"Goodbye!"

"Later, niisan."

"Wait. I'll be coming along."

"Huh? Okay… Go ahead."

Netto had been about to leave his house when Saito had announced he was coming along: he looked concerned.

"Yeah. Wait a min."

He dematerialized and entered the Link PET as Netto opened the door and ran off while making sure to close it behind him: he put on the roller blades and hurried towards the school.

"… 7:35 AM. You can make it with a bit more margin. But you should try to be out of home at least ten minutes earlier, Netto – kun." Saito told him as he checked the time.

"… Yuriko's talks about the stalker worried ya?" Netto asked.

"Yeah. I spoke it with Commissioner Kifune. I'm authorized to come out and fight back with self-defense if someone were to try to attack you. There can be no legal repercussions." Saito admitted.

"Good move. Yeah. I guess it'll be safer if you come along. You never know what could happen, anyway."

"… Hmpf…"

Jim Marlongo was lying in a thin plastic mattress placed in the roof of a nearby building: he had a Heckler & Koch PSG1 sniper rifle on his hands and was aiming for the street below.

"Sniper Man. Time?"

"Fifty seconds." Sniper Man reported.

"Roger."

Marlong took out the safety and looked through the scope.

"Heh."

The place he saw was a simple side alley with some stairs which connected to a parallel street some meters lower than the main street: Marlong aimed towards the ground of that street.

"… Okay. I'm half-way there." Netto muttered.

"Yeah. You'll be there in five minutes at this rate." Saito confirmed.

Netto passed in front of the alley, but, at that moment, his right roller blade violently jerked sideways toward the left, and he lost balance.

"Yikes!" He yelped.

He fell and rolled down those stairs before hitting the back of his head with the handrail: he lost consciousness out from the hit and was sitting in the floor in a sloppy manner while his head was hanging down.

"Ah! Otouto! What happened? Please answer me!" Saito gasped.

Netto didn't move or respond, so Saito looked around as if to try to make sure no – one was looking there.

"… Hmpf. Idiot. You won't see a pro sniper just like that. Anyway… First job: complete. Let's head over to the second one." Marlongo muttered with a smug smile.

"Heh, heh, heh…" Sniper Man chuckled.

He stood up and placed the rifle back inside of its suitcase: he then picked the mattress and walked out of the roof while humming a tune while Saito materialized to check on Netto: he had an ugly-looking hit on the left side of his skull and was unconscious: his pulse was stable and normal.

"Dunno what happened. I better call an ambulance and Papa. What could've happened? I hope this wound isn't grave…!"

09:19 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Netto! Wake up!"

Netto blinked: his head ached and his vision was blurry.

"Un-unh…"

He focused and managed to recognize his father's face: he was looking towards him as if he was standing.

"… Papa? What happened?" He asked.

"That's what I'd like to know." His father replied.

"Huh!"

Netto looked around: he was lying in a hospital room's bed and he had a thick bandage around his head which was slightly stained with blood: he had been changed into hospital pajamas as well.

"Uh… I was skating towards the institute when my right roller blade suddenly jerked sideways and I lost balance… I rolled down those stairs and hit my head with the handrail… I lost consciousness." Netto frowned as he remembered.

"Weird!" Yuuichirou muttered.

"Yeah. I called the ambulance because I was worried that it might have been grave." Saito admitted.

The door opened and Enzan came in, looking concerned and also like he'd come running all the way there from the office.

"Netto! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. _Thank you_."

"Phew! Hikari - hakase told me you'd had some kind of accident and I rushed here." Enzan sighed in relief.

"Yeah. It went like this…"

Netto retold it and Enzan frowned.

"Can I have a look at your roller blades?" He asked.

"Sure." Netto replied.

Netto's middle school uniform neatly folded and placed on top of a nearby chair and the skates were placed in the ground and next to the chair.

"Thanks."

Enzan picked the right one and looked at its frame.

"Hum."

He immediately spotted something: a dent on one wheel which had dislocated from the rail and was inclined in a diagonal position.

"… This dent… It looks like something hit the wheel with a lot of speed and strength. Yet… It wasn't a pebble." He muttered aloud.

"The street was almost empty, too." Saito added.

"Did you look around?" Blues asked.

"Yeah. But I saw no – one in a 200 meters radius. I couldn't check the buildings' roofs because the angle made it hard to look 'cause the sun is starting at you." Saito replied.

"Hmmm… And I'm sure this was planned beforehand somehow. You always pick that road?" Enzan asked.

"Yeah. It's the shortest one." Netto confirmed.

"What are you getting at, Enzan – kun? Someone deliberately provoked this accident?" Yuuichirou asked.

"Yes, sir. But I'm not sure _how_ they did it yet."

Enzan's PET vibrated in silent mode and he picked it up.

"Enzan – sama: an urgent transmission from IPC head office." Blues reported.

"The head office…? You're not gonna tell me we got an industrial spy again…" Enzan muttered with a hint of annoyance.

He patched the call and listened: the ring of the fire alarms and the sprinklers' sound could be heard.

"Vice President, sir! Various fires have sprouted at random in some of the head office's rooms!" A man reported.

"No way!" Enzan gasped.

"Is the data being transferred to the external backup servers?" Blues questioned.

"It is. One moment… The security chief has a report." The man replied.

"The "A Level" firewall got broken through! I've confirmed _two_ intruders which came with a five minute difference between each other! And… Well… Something weird is going with one server. It'd seem a foreign program is attempting to rewrite its layout!" The security chief reported.

"Two intruders… Rewrite the layout? Sergei!" Blues muttered before uttering the name.

"What did you say?" Netto gasped.

"Blues! Head to IPC home office on the double!" Enzan commanded in a whisper.

"Yes, sir! I shall be going." Blues confirmed.

"… Bwah, hah, hah, hah! Roast 'em! Roast 'em! That smug-faced idiot can't rival with my heat anymore! The Red Beard wannabe is next!"

"Oh?"

"Guoh!"

Roast Man had been using his flamethrowers to attack Core Blocks and provoke fire to sprout out in the real word before someone suddenly attacked him from behind and tossed him into the ground.

"Huh!"

He stood up while cursing under his breath and spotted Blues standing there while having his default Sword Battle Chip drawn.

"What! This guy's gotta be the red punk _Danna_ talked about!"

"Che! Roast 'im up, too!" Smokin' commanded.

"Wrong." A new voice announced.

A wall made of several yellow and hollow diamonds separated both of them and Sergei appeared in Blues' front.

"You lowlife!" Blues cursed.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Hmpf!"

He snapped his fingers and the environment changed: white marble walls rose from the ground and formed a compound the entrance of which was blocked off with debris from a seemingly collapsed archway: an underground entrance appeared to Blues' left.

"Huh!"

There was a narrow arch-built stone bridge crossing an abyss before ending up in another platform which had a warp point on the middle of its surface.

"What!"

Before Blues could react, two Security Navis appeared: one carried a data block while the other had nothing on his hands.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Sergei then pushed Blues to the left and took out a black and slightly curved sword which had a small purple-like sphere on the spot where the handle and blade fused: he swung it upwards and caused for another barrier to show up.

"Hah!"

Sergei then dashed across the bridge towards one of the security Navis, who ran towards Sergei and extended his hands: a security barrier deployed and Sergei began to hit it with his sword.

"… _Aibou_! Get the data outta 'ere!" The security Navi told his colleague while looking there.

The Navi nodded and ran towards the warp point: Blues noticed how the wall keeping him at bay was losing power.

"Hra~h!"

"Uo~h!"

Sergei plunged his sword into the barrier and shattered it while propelling the security Navi back: his partner gasped.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!" Sergei laughed as he leant forward.

He gasped and spotted Blues jumping across the air and trying to hit him, so he quickly jumped back and assumed a combat pose.

"You two! Hurry it up!" Blues commanded.

"Y-yes, sir!"

The two Navis rushed through the warp point and it deactivated afterwards while Blues faced Sergei: he looked annoyed and clenched his free fist.

"You've just done it…! When it comes to Blues…!" He muttered with obvious annoyance.

"Hmpf."

"What's always happening to me is that I'm forgetting to address your involvement…!" He muttered as he aimed his sword at him.

"Hmpf. So it'd seem." Blues shot back.

"Sadly enough, though, now I don't have a single minute or second to regret. I'll address that when our next encounter." Sergei added while bending forward and aiming his sword skywards.

"Come anytime. I shall defeat you lowlife." Blues challenged.

"Well said, Blues – sama!" Another security Navi exclaimed.

"However! Next time I won't allow you some hundreds of years to prepare. I'll have you go through endless and continuous pain. I'll grant you a living Hell."

He swung his sword around and warped out of the area as it returned to normal: Roast Man was nowhere to be seen and the fires were being put out by the Security Navis.

"Damn. He stalled for time." He grumbled.

"Yeah. Sure thing. And by "Red Beard wannabe", I'm sure that Navi meant Hinoken. He must have a mania towards guys who have something to do with fire given his order of targets." Netto guessed.

"And he wanted to get Enzan out of IPC to sneak in and start this chaos."

Yuuichirou's cell phone vibrated in silent mode.

"Meijin?" Yuuichirou asked.

"Hikari – hakase! Catastrophe! Parts of the Science Labs are blowing up for no apparent reason!" Meijin reported while sounding terrified.

An explosion rang out in the Science Labs and a chunk of ceiling fell into the room: the scientists ran around in a chaotic manner while more explosions echoed in different wings.

"Everyone! Run for it!" Meijin was trying to coordinate an evacuation of the Science Labs.

Demolition Man placed some TNT cartridges along with a fuse: he placed both hands on an old-fashioned puller detonator and he pushed it downwards: the TNT exploded.

"Hah!"

Part of the ceiling of one of the building exploded and collapsed in the real world.

"What in the world…!" A scientist exclaimed.

"What are we going to do with the data backups?" Another asked.

"Grah! We'll try to save as much as possible: the security Navis are overwhelmed!" Meijin coordinated.

"Hah! There's nothin' I can't demolish or blow up! Hah, hah, hah! Those are melodies to my ears, fellas! Run for it! BWAH, HAH, HA, HAH, HAH, HAH!"

"That's enough!"

Demolition Man gasped and turned around to see Thunder Man standing there.

"Who the…? Ya weren't part of _Danna_'s instructions!" He cursed.

"I come to the Science Labs to visit a friend and I find this chaos… You! Get ready!" Thunder Man muttered before challenging.

"Brag while you can! Eat TNT!" Demolition Man growled.

He ignited the fuse on them and threw them at Thunder Mans' feet: he'd already jumped into the air, however.

"Elec Grip, Probe! Go! Thunder Man!" Raoul exclaimed.

"Thunderbolt!"

The attack rained down and hit Demolition Man, electrocuting him due to his partly metallic body composition.

"Groa~h!"

He collapsed on the ground while smoking and groaning.

"This is as far as you come!" He exclaimed.

"Hmpf. Wrong. Foreigner." A voice corrected.

"What?" Thunder Man gasped.

Someone fell down from above and kicked him on the face, thus propelling him to the ground: he then found Sergei aiming that sword of his at his neck.

"You're…!" Thunder Man gasped.

"Ah! _Danna_'s _aibou_!" Demolition Man gasped.

"Run." Sergei commanded.

"Y-yeah! Have at cha!"

Demolition Man quickly escaped while Sergei jumped back.

"… Hmpf. What foolish bothersome guys!" He exclaimed while looking rather annoyed.

"That's my motto." Raoul shot back.

"Hah. I know why you came here." Sergei taunted.

"What?" Raoul grumbled.

"…"Multiple boys of Heaven Town's downtown district disappear 24 hours and then show up again having suffered massive mental trauma." … You found the proxies." Sergei put up a smug smile.

"You lowlife…!" Raoul hissed.

"Blame Twilight. He was the one who started the business before he died… We're just making sure to take in those profits!"

"Sergei! You lowlife!" Thunder Man cursed.

"Hmpf! I've got no time to deal with foreigners. You'll be slain by one our employees sooner or later." Sergei told him.

He swung the sword around and vanished from the Science Labs' Cyber World while Thunder Man cursed.

"Damn."

"Che." Raoul hissed.

"What! Thunder Man came in to stop the enemy but then Sergei appeared and won time for the intruder to escape? And they claim being behind those incidents in Heaven's Town?" Yuuuichirou asked Meijin in the meanwhile.

"Yes, sir. There is no doubt about it."

"This is spiraling out of control." Yuuichirou cursed.

"We managed to secure 85% of the data… We're still looking if we can rescue anything else… This makes me remember the day of Nebula's debut, even… At least no – one got hurt." Meijin replied.

"Yeah. I guess we can be glad of that…"

"I reported to Raoul and Thunder Man: so they're most likely heading over there." Meijin added.

"What a day! Raoul wants to come see me and he ends up having to try to save the Science Labs." Netto muttered while looking at the ceiling: he'd placed both hands behind his head.

"Damn. This is the last time I neglect someone." Enzan grimly muttered aloud.

"Saito - kun!"

Roll suddenly appeared inside Saito's PET.

"Huh? Roll – chan! What happened?" Saito asked.

"It's terrible! Meiru – chan was attacked!" She exclaimed.

"WHAT!" Saito yelled.

"No way!" Netto uttered.

"I know it sounds hard to believe: but it happened! She was standing inside of the classroom and looking at the outside: something broke through the window and hit her! She started to bleed and we had to call the ambulance! They took her to the OR!" She explained before she burst into tears.

"… Roll – chan… I'm sure Meiru – chan will make it through." He tried to comfort her.

"Kami - sama…" Yuuichirou muttered.

"Meiru – chan attacked? I can't believe it…" Netto muttered: he also was pale.

"… You're not gonna tell me they picked September the 13th because 13 is supposed to bring bad luck!" Enzan grimly muttered.

There was a knock and a medic entered the room: he carried a clipboard and a pen.

"How are you feeling, young man?" He asked.

"My head hurts a bit, but, apart from that, I feel perfect. It'd seem I bled a bit when I got the hit, but it looks like it's already been stitched." Netto replied while bringing his right hand to his forehead.

"Okay. Eh… We'd want to be on the safe side, so… Please stay until tomorrow morning. We'd rather check that no secondary infection appears or something along those lines." The medic told him.

"I understand." Netto replied.

"Are you his father, sir?" The doctor addressed Yuuichirou.

"Correct." He replied.

"I'm sure that by tomorrow morning he can be discharged."

"Thank you, _sensei_."

"It's nothing. I've got job to do. Bye-bye." The medic smiled before he walked out.

"… Guess I've gotta check the damage at IPC. We'll have to postpone our training for today." Enzan sighed.

"Yes, sir. See you around, Saito."

"Take care, _Buruusu_."

"Don't worry. We're gonna train and then show those two that they can't do whatever they want to." Netto told him.

"I like that better. Good morning, Hikari – hakase."

"Take care, Enzan – kun." Yuuichirou told him.

"Thank you, sir. Good morning."

Enzan departed the room and sighed in defeat.

"Damn. Sergei. Ivan. This won't end like this." He muttered.

"Should I call for a vehicle, Enzan – sama?" Blues asked.

"Yeah. I wanna get there ASAP. Go ahead and see that they repair the firewall and bring out the B Level and C Level ones as well."

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

"… Sorry, Netto, Saito. But I won't be at ease until I confirm the extent of damage to the Science Labs." Yuuichirou told him.

"Okay, Papa. Will you tell Mama what's happened?"

"Sure. Saito. Take care of him, will you?"

"Yeah, Papa. Please leave it to me." Saito confirmed.

"See you tomorrow."

"Good-bye, Papa." Both replied.

Netto began to go over a mail when Roll appeared onscreen: she looked more relieved.

"Good news! Meiru - chan is safe and stable. She was hit by a bullet, but there was no big danger." Roll reported.

"A bullet… But… Weird! I mean… Aren't the classrooms on the 2nd floor? Someone would've seen it if a guy with a gun was nearby! Don't you think so?" Netto commented.

"… Sniper! It was a sniper!" Saito gasped.

"What!" Netto gasped.

"Yeah! It makes sense! Their scopes can see as far as 630 meters and shoot from that much distance without losing speed or power! I'm sure your accident was caused by a sniper as well." He exposed.

"Damn! Ivan hired a sniper to attack Meiru – chan, then! What a lowlife…!" Netto hissed.

"… I'm off to see Meiru – chan at her room. Come by anytime you want, Netto – san." Roll announced.

"Yeah. I'll have to ask if I can come out of the room." Netto replied with a sigh.

There was a knock and the medic from before walked in.

"Ah! I forgot to tell you… If you want to then you can wander around the hospital. But when nighttime comes then you'll have to come back to your room. Okay?" The medic smiled.

"Thank you, _sensei_."

"Ops. I've got work elsewhere. Good morning."

Netto calmly stood up and put on hospital sandals: he also picked his wallet and the PET's strap which he put on: he also pocketed the wallet on the trousers' pockets.

"Let's go see Meiru – chan."

"Roger, otouto. Roll – chan told me Meiru – chan is on room 393, which is in this same floor. Exit and go to the left." Saito instructed.

Netto calmly walked down the corridors and soon reached a room with the name "Sakurai Meiru" printed below the number.

"Here…"

He knocked on the door.

"_Hai~_! Come in!" Meiru replied.

Netto stepped in and stopped when in front of the bed: Meiru was sitting there and she looked calm.

"Whoa! Netto! What happened to you?" Meiru asked.

"… Ivan arranged for me to have an accident on the way to school. I hit my head with a handrail and got knocked out so they had to bring me here, you see… How do you feel, Meiru – chan?" Netto summarized before asking her: he sighed in defeat.

"Nothing hurts, but I still find it shocking I was actually shot a bullet into my left shoulder. It may take a while to recover and I'm supposed to not to do gymnastics for a while." Meiru replied.

"Sergei is terrible!" Roll was telling Saito.

"You needn't tell me. You saw what he did on Tuesday." Saito rolled his eyes.

"I guess we'll both have to ask a favor out of Hikawa – kun or Yaito – chan… We need to be told what we did today and the homework." Netto shrugged.

"Yeah. Guess so. I think they'll let them come over later on." Meiru replied with a sigh.

"And let's hope Dekao will behave, too." Netto sighed.

"Yeah. Dekao – kun… He's too stubborn to accept reality." Meiru rolled her eyes and sounded exasperated.

"Guts Man… When it comes to courage, he may have a _bit_ but rather close to zero. Why didn't they name him "Gorilla Man" to begin with?" Roll sounded exasperated as well.

"G-guess so…" Saito rubbed his helmet with one finger.

"Yo! Rock Man. I found ya."

Thunder Man entered the room's Cyber World.

"Ah! Thunder Man! It's been a while!" He greeted.

"Sure!" Thunder Man replied.

"Good morning!" Roll greeted.

"Oho. Good morning. Raoul is coming over: he had to drop by the Net Police HQ to submit a record of what happened."

"Then tell him to drop by this room." Netto requested.

"It'll be good to see him again." Meiru added.

There was a discrete knock on the door.

"Come in!" Meiru invited.

Raoul stepped in while having his _afro_ disguise on and his arms folded: he looked somewhat imposing.

"… Raoul…?" Netto looked surprised.

"Yo! What's up, _Big Brother_? Shake it around!" He exclaimed.

"Eh, heh, heh…" Meiru looked somewhat surprised.

"As usual…" Netto looked amused.

Raoul took off the wig and sunglasses and pocketed them on a bag he carried.

"Netto! And Meiru, too. Are you two okay?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah. I guess I can be discharged tomorrow." Netto confirmed.

"By the way… Do you know a woman who dresses in black? I crossed her and she asked if I knew where you were at…" Raoul asked in a hushed tone.

"Oh. That's Yuriko. Don't worry: Yuriko takes care of protecting me when on the street. I guess she must've been startled by the news." Netto replied.

"Oh. I see. Well… I guess she's gonna find the room sooner or later. In any case… Netto. I'm not sure if you heard, but… I cornered a creep and the police searched his computer: there were photos of that friend of yours whose father works at the Waterworks…" Raoul told him.

"What! Hikawa – kun's photos?" He gasped.

"No way!" Meiru gasped.

"Yeah… Fortunately enough, the grunts here had already been cornered. I'm warning you too, Meiru. Make sure to always get towards home with a friend or someone of your family." Raoul added while having his usual serious face on.

"Maybe I can ask Yuriko to accompany her… It's just two minutes from my home, anyway." Netto suggested.

"Good. Well then… I made a deal with a guy named Miyabi. We're gonna go grunt-hunting. Be careful, you two." Raoul announced.

"Good luck, Thunder Man." Saito told him.

"_Thank you_!" Thunder Man replied.

"… Damn. As if dealing with them ain't enough of a headache, they're now going to extreme ends like having the grunts from what's left of the so-called "Secret Empire" target us…" Netto cursed.

"And we thought having our perceptions twisted was bad enough… This is worse, even." Saito grimly muttered.

"… I think I need something to eat. Do you want me to fetch you something from the cafeteria, Meiru – chan?" Netto muttered before asking her.

"A croissant would do fine." She replied.

"Okay."

"We'll back in a while." Saito announced.

"I'll be waiting, _dear_!" Roll teased.

"I guess they're teasing us." Netto guessed.

"Yeah. But I don't see the point of it." Saito shrugged.

Netto hummed a tune and used an elevator to get to the cafeteria: he bought a pair of croissants and some cold water bottles before he headed back into Meiru's room.

"I guess Yggdrasil's curse strikes back." Meiru muttered.

"Not again…!" Netto looked exasperated.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh!"

"Meiru – chan…!"

20:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmmm… Damn. I can't."

"Try to think of something else, then."

Netto was having trouble sleeping and Saito was sitting on a chair next to him while looking worried.

"What?"

"_Curry_."

"Hmmm! Curry… A Maha Special… Heh, heh! Dekao can make good curry and would be a good cook if he didn't go around yelling… But I'd never guessed Wily liked it, too." Netto grinned.

"Sure. Maybe one day I'll be able to check it out even."

"Oh?"

"Interesting."

Both gasped: those newcomer voices were way too familiar.

"No way!"

Saito suddenly found the sharp end of Sergei's blade in front of his neck while Netto noticed the muzzle of a silencer on the left side of his skull, freezing him.

"Hiya."

"Surprised?"

Saito gasped and looked behind him to see Sergei leaning his head over Saito's right shoulder while pointing the blade to him.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh."

Ivan had picked a chair to sit down into and was aiming a gun to Netto's skull.

"I-Ivan!" Netto gasped.

"You…! Sergei!" Saito cursed.

"We hadn't yet met physically! Had we, Cousin Netto?" Ivan commented.

"It'd been rude not to." Sergei added.

"Ivan! What are you two up to?" Netto demanded.

"It's not "us two" anymore: we've created _Silver Arrow_!" Ivan announced with a smug smile.

"What!" Saito gasped.

"Yeah! Oriol and the others charged us with being their legacy. I'm sure you've met some of the guys we approached." Sergei added.

"And this was supposed to be your inaugural act, then?" Netto grumbled in clear annoyance.

"Yep! That of Tuesday was a small experiment."

"… Something tells me you just came to brag." Saito told them.

"True. It'd be pointless to go for such antiques. We'd rather prefer to overpower you two in battle." Sergei confirmed.

"And this gun is a fake, anyway."

"Shit." Netto growled.

"But this knife isn't." Ivan warned next.

He took out a small knife and held it on his left hand.

"Heh! And my sword isn't. It must be eager to taste your blood, Cousin Saito. It'll find a slight trace of me on it." Sergei added.

"Oh! Before I forget… That of the thugs… We don't need such antiques, either. They were just there to put pressure onto you guys. Who knows? Maybe you'll actually tap into the _Dark Side_'s power for a bit. Heh, heh, heh, hheh!" Ivan teased with a grin.

"Who'd want to tap into the _Dark Side_?" Netto growled with clear annoyance.

"Maybe Anakin Skywalker would to defeat Count Dooku?" Sergei suggested with a smile.

"That was because he was fooled by Palpatine!" Saito growled.

"Heh, heh, heh… In any case. We've got work to do. Oh! One last thing: maybe you'll even get to meet _that person_ one of these days. It seems to be aware of anything which goes on and our little show won't skip its attention."

"You mean… The one who made up the "R – Program" copy and the three "Guardians"…?" Saito grasped.

"Yep. They could even sneak past our high security by using a subtle resource. However! We already completed our end of the deal a month ago. I guess they must be loading up by now." Sergei replied.

"…"Loading up"? They're loading data into something?" Netto wondered aloud.

"Ops. Slip of the tongue… Well then… Good dreams, Cousin Netto. See ya around." Ivan announced.

He suddenly took out a cotton handkerchief and pressed it against Netto's mouth while he placed the knife's blade next to the left shoulder: Netto soon looked sleepy and fell asleep.

"Huh…!"

Sergei gripped Saito's emblem with his left hand and triggered his hibernation mode into him: he became limp and hung his head down towards the ground.

"Hmpf."

"Heh."

"… Heh. Too easy. Let's go back to the hideout." Ivan grinned.

"Yep. Terror and fear are just about to start."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…!"


	4. Chapter 4: Espionage

**Chapter 4: Espionage**

23:13 PM (Japan Time), Monday September the 13th…

"… Fua~h… Hiya, guys…"

Obihiro walked inside of Silver Arrow's HQ main room grinning in an evil way a while later: he barely repressed a yawn.

"Good night, Shun." Ivan greeted him.

"Hello, Ivan. So… You have a mission for me?"

"Yeah! You'll be a spy." Sergei announced.

"Cool! Whom do I have to spy?"

"The Science Labs." Ivan let out.

"Whoa!"

"However… You'll be more like a double agent. We've prepared a file for you claiming that you're already a genius in EM waves and "Dimensional Area" stuff. They'll surely give you access to meetings, even. Report what goes on there all time." Sergei instructed.

"Huh… You mean by using this chip which you implanted into my brain, then?"

"Yeah! I have an identical one. They can use an encrypted and very concrete bandwidth to work by posing as cell phone communications. And it can't be detected, either. You'll be able to speak with me anytime without anyone noticing." Ivan explained.

"Heh. Interesting. Hunter Man! We're gonna have a thrill." Shun told him with a grin.

"By your orders." Hunter Man merely replied.

"Stay clear of either Yuriko or Miyabi: they have an eye for this stuff and they could get suspicious, even." Sergei warned.

"Call me when I get to have my roadshow. Heh, heh, heh… This is life!"

08:48 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday September the 14th…

"… Huh… Oh… Man… Ugh…"

Netto slowly began to awake and felt a strong dizziness: he managed to focus and spotted Saito, who was still unconscious.

"Saito – niisan!"

He jumped off the bed and checked on him: he then tried pressing the chest emblem: it shone and Saito began to murmur something as he sluggishly opened his eyes.

"Hmmm… Netto – kun… Ah!" He muttered before gasping.

Both looked around the room: it was empty save for themselves.

"Oh! It's 8:51 AM!" Saito gasped.

"Damn. They must be kilometers from here by now. Anyway… I'm gonna get discharged, so you better get back on the PET. We'll drop by Meiru – chan's room and then go see Papa at the Science Labs. The situation is uglier than we thought. The institute can wait for later: I wouldn't be surprised if they cancelled all classes until they made sure it was a safe spot…" Netto suggested.

"Yeah. I agree with that plan, otouto." Saito confirmed.

He dematerialized while Netto began to organize his stuff: there was a knock and medic walked in.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, _sensei_."

"How do you feel like?"

"I can't feel anything strange. I guess my wound healed in a neat manner sans any infections." Netto replied.

"Let's have a look."

Netto sat on the chair as the medic removed the bandages.

"Good enough. You're discharged."

"Thank you, _sensei_."

"It's nothing. Good morning."

Netto quickly dressed up and picked his backpack: he accommodated the pajamas on the bed and came out: his name had already been removed from the room number.

"That was fast."

He headed to Meiru's room and knocked on it after checking that it was still occupied.

"Come in!"

Netto came in and found Meiru already changed into the middle school uniform and finishing packing her books into the backpack.

"Good morning, Netto. Did you sleep well?" She greeted.

"No. Silver Arrow came." Netto replied.

"Who came?" Meiru frowned.

"Ivan and Sergei." He clarified.

"What!" She gasped.

"No way!" Roll gasped.

"Way. They've begun their own business. And they're going to make us sweat a lot." Saito grumbled.

"Well. I'm gonna speak with Papa. Please send me a mail with the homework: I'll work on it today if I have time to." Netto requested.

"Okay. Be careful, Netto!"

"Yeah! No creep is gonna scare me." Netto nodded in agreement.

"Good luck, Saito – kun!"

"Thanks, Roll – chan."

Both exited the hospital and headed different ways: Netto was walking down the street when he spotted a taxi stand.

"_Lucky~!_ Taxi!"

He climbed into one.

"Please go to the Science Labs."

"Roger, customer – san."

The taxi ignited and Netto sighed as he looked at the streets.

_Silver Arrow…!_

"Heh, heh, heh… The Science Labs… Good."

A man was standing in the empty taxi stand and looking towards the taxi Netto had picked: he looked on his thirties.

He had a small brown mustache, brown hair and blue – irises eyes.

He wore camouflage – colored clothes, military boots and a cap.

"Camouflage Man!" He called out in a commanding tone.

A Navi projected himself using the holographic projector.

He, too, was colored with camouflage colors.

He had a mouth guard on while his eyes' irises were brown: the helmet had some leafs attached to it as if to provide further camouflage.

His emblem was a patch of camouflage colors: he had some curve-shaped lines with patches of brown and green along his arms and legs while his central body had black lines drawing the borders between the different camouflage patches.

The Navi also seemed to be carrying a scout knife and grenades.

"You called, Sgt. Sneaky?" The Navi saluted.

"Contact Janus – sama. The "Net Savior" has gone to the Science Labs."

_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…!_

09:19 AM (Japan Time)…

"… We have arrived at the Science Labs, customer – san."

"Good. I'll pay with electronic money."

"Roger."

"Good morning."

Netto climbed down from the taxi at the entrance of the Science Labs complex and looked around at the destruction.

"… Yeah. This totally looks like what happened back when Nebula's debut…" He muttered.

"I guess Papa must be in the usual room." Saito suggested.

"Yeah. Come out, niisan."

"Okay, otouto."

Saito materialized and both walked into the main building: there were workers trying to fix the damage in a quick and efficient manner.

"_Déjà vu_!" Netto muttered.

"Yeah. Too much of a _déjà vu_, really..."

"And to think I actually lost consciousness after we forced Beast Man to pull out of the attack…" Netto muttered.

"It couldn't be helped: it was a risky attempt."

"Then there was Flash Man causing power failures and the labs almost ran out of power to restore you, niisan."

"But thanks to Roll – chan and Meiru – chan we managed to win the time to finish them and stop Flash Man from causing more power failures: but our first encounter with a "Dark Chip" is something I won't forget. Luckily enough we triggered "Soul Unison" and with Roll – chan's power we defeated the jerk. He didn't dare to show his hide around for a rather long time afterwards!" Saito muttered while recalling.

"Sure… Oh! Here we are."

The two of them soon made it to the main room: Yuuichirou was talking with Meijin while looking at a clipboard.

"… Thus, the total amount of lost data is just 2% of the total and most of it was just building schematics along with list of wings which are to be demolished or refurbished…" Meijin reported.

"I guess we can be glad of it." Yuuichirou replied.

"Papa! Meijn – san!" Netto called out.

"_San wa iranai_, Netto – kun!"

"Oh. Good morning, Netto. You look startled." Yuuichirou greeted while looking surprised.

"Silver Arrow! They showed up last night in the hospital and admitted being behind this!" Netto announced.

"Silver Arrow?" Both wondered.

"… Ivan and Sergei." Saito grumbled.

"What!" Both gasped.

"Yeah. They're gonna keep on what Golden Star began: they've become their successor organization." Netto confirmed.

"This is bad. That Roast Man guy showed up yesterday at Maha Ichiban's and challenged Fire Man…" Meijin grumbled.

"So? What happened afterwards?" Saito asked.

"… Hino got somewhat hot-headed, but Fire Man kept cool and they managed to win with a Program Advance. Nenji – kun was targeted next: he and Napalm Man were able to repel him. It'd seem the guy thinks he's the supreme Flame – Attribute Navi." Meijin listed.

"And did you get to identify the guy who caused this wreck?"

"Yeah. He was named Demolition Man."

"Demolition Man, huh." Saito muttered.

"Both his and Roast Man's Operators cannot be located yet. I guess Silver Arrow erased the records about them."

"Fua~h… What's up today…? Uh…"

Enzan walked in while looking rather sleepy.

"Enzan – kun." Yuuichirou greeted.

"You didn't sleep enough?" Meijin guessed.

"No… We managed to restore most of the files, but it turned out the files about the Link PET were gone: Sergei stole them." Enzan replied.

"Why did the guy?" Saito asked Blues.

"I'm sure they aim to locate the GPS tracers and physically remove them to become untraceable." Blues admitted.

"Yeah. I can guess that, given how they showed up yesterday night at the hospital." Netto grumbled.

"WHAT!" Both Enzan and Blues gasped.

"In short: they're now named Silver Arrow. And they're gonna be one hell of an enemy." Netto summarized.

"Shit." Enzan growled.

"And we're gonna end up having to face several Navis. I just found out that that Roast Man lowlife targeted Enzan – sama given the "flame" _Kanji_ on his name." Blues growled.

"Yeah. That guy could get troublesome. And we've deduced that Netto – kun's accident was caused by a sniper." Saito added.

"Damn. I suspected as much!" Enzan cursed.

"At least Raoul and Miyabi are working on rounding thugs up. Things couldn't be more chaotic." Netto brought up.

"Shit."

"Oh! One last thing: they added that we may meet the one behind those "_Guardians_" and the "R – Program" copy." Saito added.

"Yeah! That guy seems to be able to get a hold of any news. They admit that he was able to bypass their high security using a subtle trick." Netto recalled.

"Hmmm… If they could make such a program and place such a lock on it, then I'm not surprised." Yuuichirou muttered.

"Yeah… That 25% lock, you mean to say…" Saito muttered.

"… Anyway! Standing idle won't do us any good. We'll have to get working on restoring our defenses and be ready for a hard battle. Netto. I guess you'll have to bring out the "Bestialize Chips": we need all possible battling power." Enzan suggested before addressing Netto.

"We may be able to rival the enemy like this." Blues added.

"Yeah. The war has begun." Yuuichirou warned.

Netto's PET beeped and Bubble Man showed up onscreen with his broad grin and looking up to something.

"Puku! Netto! Puku!"

"Bubble Man? Whaddya want?"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! Puku!"

"Some new weapon..." Enzan guessed.

"Yeah! Weird-haired jerk! Puku!"

"I've heard that a trillion times already." Enzan calmly replied.

"Whatever! Puku! My Anti Jerk Cannon will be a great success! Puku! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"Sure, sure!"

"Rock Man! Puku! I'll beat ya with its powerful overwhelming blast! Heh, heh, heh, heh! Puku!"

"Sure, sure." Saito was far from impressed.

"Looking for stray souls?" Someone asked behind Bubble Man.

"YIKES! PUKU!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… The Great Serpent will swallow you as _hors d'ouevre_!"

"YIKES! PUKU~! RUN FOR YOU BUBBLES! PUKU~!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Shadow Man. I know it's you." Saito rolled his eyes.

"Stray souls… They're amusing." Shadow Man's face was displayed next and he sounded amused.

"Guess so." Saito shrugged.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Well. I'm off before Miyabi is spirited away by the Great Evil God."

"Yeah, yeah." Netto looked skeptical.

"So… What now?" Enzan asked to no – one in particular.

"Maybe some knock-out _ramen_ will do?" Meijin grinned.

"Yeah!" Netto grinned as well.

"Why not…"

"Knock-out _ramen_? WHERE?" Several scientists rushed in.

"It's an idea." Meijin looked surprised.

"Ah."

They headed away while sounding disappointing: the group of six blinked in surprise (Blues couldn't be seen blinking but it could be hinted that he was doing that under the shades) at their behavior.

"I treated them to some during the "Nebula Grey Incident" but… I didn't know it'd become so popular." Meijin admitted.

"Maybe Laika will want some?"

"Guess he will." Enzan grinned.

"NETTO~!"

Dekao rushed in all of a sudden and stopped to catch his breath: Netto wasn't surprised and could seemingly guess what he was going to say or do so he folded his arms.

"You! What have you done to MY Meiru – chan?" He formulated his annoying classical question.

"Tell that to Ivan."

"Ivan! Who's that? Laika's brother?"

"Jeez. My rival." Netto grumbled.

"Where's the jerk at?"

"Dunno. He's a guy with a red bandana and a silver arrow as drawing but he'll rather send his Navi, Sergei, to mess around."

"Hah! Then I'll beat 'em and win the affection of MY Meiru – chan!"

"Dekao – kun… You can't say Meiru – chan is "MY Meiru – chan" because she's a person and persons don't belong to anyone. It's not like she's a doll, right?" Yuuichirou scolded with obvious annoyance.

"Yikes! I'm s-sorry, Hikari – hakase!" He gulped.

"Dekao – kun! If you can't focus on the curry at Maha Ichiban's then do you really believe you'll be able to do that when you open that "future business", huh?" Meijin brought up.

"B-but! Meijin – san!"

"_San wa iranai_!" Meijin quickly shot back.

"Man. I'm off. The Anti Curry League must be making a fool of me to begin with!"

"Come… Silver Arrow! We'll defeat you…!"


	5. Chapter 5: The first faceoffs

**Chapter 5: The first face-offs**

13:15 PM (Japan Time), Friday September the 15th…

"… How is it, Blues? Have you found anything on the servers?"

"No, Enzan – sama. They're clean."

"Che."

Blues was inside of a server somewhere and accessing their records to see if anything could be found.

"I thought they might've been using our backup servers to hide information, but… No such luck." Enzan grumbled.

"Maybe we should investigate another possible spot, Enzan – sama?"

"Hmpf. I won't let you." A voice rang out.

"Who…?" Blues demanded.

Three scout knives flew towards his from behind: he took out a Long Sword and intercepted them all.

"Hmpf. Not bad."

A Navi dropped by from a higher level.

He was of average height and had a scar across his left eye: his eyes were brown and emotionless and his helmet had what seemed to be a count of something engraved with a knife there and there.

His main coloring was pale green although his boots and forearms were colored pale blue: his shoulder pads were colored in rusted metal-like coloring and his emblem was a stylized knife with a bronze handle.

The Navi also carried a belt with two knives sheaths attached to it and a _katana_ sheath.

"Who are you lowlife?" Blues demanded.

"Hah. Knife Man. Mercenary." He announced with obvious arrogance and shrugging.

"Mercenary, huh… You lowlife must be under Silver Arrow's orders, then, given how you lowlife tried to stop my investigation." Blues guessed while looking unimpressed.

"Obviously, "Net Savior"!" A voice rang out.

A window popped out and showed a man's face who looked on his forties.

He had a small black mustache and reading glasses and his black hair was quite spiky.

He seemed to be wearing a brown coat with a high neck, thus hiding his face from the nose downwards.

"Sam Wizzy. I specialize on silent assaults. I've claimed thirty all over the world." He coolly announced.

"Damn. An assassin." Enzan cursed.

"Knife Man! Add another one to the roster." Wizzy commanded.

"Roger, Wizzy - sama."

Knife Man took out his knives and threw them towards Blues: he suddenly took out a third knife and moved quickly from point to point, trying to hit Blues.

"Huh!"

Blues dodged, but the guy moved the knife with skill and speed, and he maneuvered quickly: he jumped in the air and back flipped.

"Time to dodge."

Blues jumped away but the enemy managed to land a cut on his right shoulder which he didn't mind.

"Battle Chip, Fumikomi Cross! Slot In!" Enzan backed Blues up.

Blues dashed forward, but Knife Man jumped into the air and then took out the _katana_ from the sheath, using it to block Blues off.

"Battle Chip, Area Steal! Slot In!"

Blues sped forward and left a diagonal cut on Knife Man's right side of the torso: the guy just landed and eyed the cut while shrugging.

"Hmpf. Is that all?" He looked unimpressed.

"No. But my orders aren't to delete you lowlife." Blues replied.

"Hmpf. Idiot. Die." He announced as he brandished the _katana_.

"… Wait a min, Knife Man. This reeks of a trap." Wizzy stopped him.

"What should I do, Wizzy – sama?" He dully asked.

"Che. I don't like pulling out in the middle, but… I just got some info from _Boss_. That "Net Savior" isn't a rookie. And we're not ready for a prolonged combat with a sword expert. Our tactic is to hit and run. But this won't work this time around." Wizzy told him.

"We'll go for a tactical withdrawal, then? Wizzy – sama?" He dully asked.

"Yeah. For the time being: we'll rework our strategies. I gotta use my head for a while if I want to achieve victory next time around. I've got brains, anyway. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…!" Wizzy replied while sounding amused.

"You won't run away!" Blues exclaimed.

He suddenly warped in front of him and kicked the _katana_ off his right hand, forcing him to recoil.

"Shit." Knife Man growled.

"Damn. I'd forgotten that this is a hit attempt and not a stand – off… Gotta do somethin'… Eh… Oh! This will do. Battle Chip, Blinder! Slot In!" Wizzy grumbled before announced a move.

Blues merely readied his sword and looked around after the flash died: Knife Man had pulled out.

"An assassin and a sniper… Damn. Ivan seems intended on hiring dangerous people." Enzan cursed.

"It does seem to…!"

Something suddenly impacted Blues' right shoulder from behind and he let out a snarl of pain.

"What's wrong, Blues?" Enzan asked.

"… The sniper! It's here!" He cursed.

"Damn. Ivan knew Knife Man wouldn't do it, so he arranged for someone else! But the IPC tower is taller than any other building in a 630 meters radius… I better get outta the office for the time being." Enzan grumbled before muttering aloud.

"Please find a safe spot, Enzan – sama! I will try to locate them."

Blues felt another bullet hitting his right knee and made a grimace as he looked around.

"I haven't moved. So… The first one had to be from behind at eleven o'clock and this one has to be from the front at five o'clock… It must be aiming to take out my other two knees and shoulders, so I can guess the two spots he'll be at." He muttered in a low tone of voice.

He quickly jumped into the air and landed in the server's higher level: there was no one around the area: Blues then felt a bullet on his right shoulder pad.

"Hum. Above and behind: eight o'clock! I know now where they're gonna go at… Hmpf. I've got a trick." He muttered.

"I guess what you mean." Enzan whispered.

Blues jumped into the air and something hit him: a cloud of smoke ensued and a _Kawarimi_ received the impact instead.

"Huh!" Someone gasped.

The real Blues plunged his sword through something invisible and the opponent let out a groan.

"Gruh!"

"Gotcha."

Its camouflage disengaged to reveal Sniper Man, who fell into his knees while clutching his right shoulder.

"D-damn!" He cursed.

"Hmpf. The sniper." Blues muttered.

"I'm not "the sniper": I'm Sniper Man!" He growled.

"You lowlife were sent as backup." He guessed.

"So what!" He hissed.

"You lowlife knew that other mercenary." He announced.

"So what!" He shot back again.

"And you lowlife's Operator attacked two civilians on Monday." Blues finished.

"So what!" He kept on shooting back.

"So I'm going to arrest you lowlife." Blues replied.

"Shit!" He growled.

"No! My career ain't gonna end 'ere…" Marlongo muttered.

"Give it up!" Enzan told him.

"No way!"

"Way." Someone else replied.

Shadow Man suddenly dropped into the area and aimed his _katana_ at Sniper Man's neck.

"Shadow Man!" He hissed.

"Hmpf. Sniper Man. It had to be you… Three months, five days." Shadow Man announced.

"Huh… June the 12th?" Blues calculated.

"A bet…?" Enzan guessed.

"Yeah… We met this guy and he challenged us to see how many money each one would've amassed by the time of our next encounter." Shadow Man explained.

"Che! But we win! You two stopped!" Sniper Man shot back.

"Yeah. But, nevertheless, I agree with Blues. You lowlife's petty sniping ends here. If you'd used your skills in war somewhere or for the SWAT team, I wouldn't have cared. But attacking a companion in such a lowlife manner is what pisses me off." Shadow Man told him.

"Dark Miyabi! You lowlife! Traitor!" Marlongo hissed.

"Traitor… To the mercenary community, you mean? Hmpf. I am a _ninja _descendant. _Ninja_ aren't mere mercenaries. They have art. You lowlife are a mere killer." Dark Miyabi announced.

There was a low chuckle which echoed around the area and the coloring suddenly changed to a blue-like color which seemed to denote lack of activity or coldness.

"What?" Blues and Shadow Man gasped.

They looked at the lower central level and spotted Sergei sitting atop something covered by a large black cloak.

"That guy!"

He had his right leg crossed over the left and was leaning his head on his right hand while having a seemingly bored look: he let out a sigh of defeatism.

"… You guys are also bothersome… I am in need of time to search for clues on how to resurrect Demon King – sama…" He announced.

"Sergei!" Enzan cursed.

"Damn." Miyabi growled.

"You lowlife!" Both Navis shouted.

"Run, Sniper Man!"

Sniper Man used the distraction to pull back and escape while Marlongo quickly shut off his communications screen: Sergei looked at the two Navis and signaled them with his right hand while looking in a slightly better mood.

"… Letting guys like you keep on trickling around is an eyesore!"

He looked to the right, snapped his hand's fingers, and vanished.

"Damn."

The cloak was deleted to reveal a Dream Virus missing its lower waist and set in a golden platform on the ground: it was missing its arms which could be seen dismantled into pieces around the area the colors of which changed to a golden-like tone.

"Shit."

The hands, forearms, elbows and arms attached to the Dream Virus, which got a red sphere inside of a purplish energy mass on its chest: some purple energy formed to join them together: it then took out two pairs of double axes which it held which it head and its eyes turned red.

"Damn." Blues growled.

"The server's been locked down… Chip transfer can be done, but I guess we won't be able to come out until we beat that monster thing." Shadow Man grumbled.

The Dream Virus generated another two pairs of double axes while the other two arms covered the red sphere.

"Grura~h!"

The two Navis jumped to ground level and Blues spotted a whip-like weapon: it had a bell-like shape at one end to hold it and ended in a small blue circle.

"… I guess I'm supposed to use this to beat this thing… Shadow Man! Try to get its attention." Blues muttered before addressing him.

"Yeah. We need a distraction."

"Roger. You _Naraku_ envoy… Return to the foul hole you escaped through and be gone from this world." Shadow Man told it.

"Shadow Man… I don't think now's the time for that." Miyabi sounded slightly resigned.

The Dream Virus hit the floor with the arms and Blues used the whip-like weapon to detach them by the joint: it lost two arms and then tried to crush him with the ones protecting the core: Blues made them come off, too.

"Shadow Blade!"

Shadow Man quickly hit the enemy as it threw the axes forward as if they were boomerangs: both ducked and dodged as they hit a wall.

"Phew!"

The Dream Virus regenerated them, however: they attacked again and it summoned the arms back into its body.

"Guess it's like in the RPG games: go for the same strategy again… You monster! Come at me. I shall slay your foul scent." Shadow Man muttered before challenging it.

"How do you slay a "foul scent", anyway?" Miyabi asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Don't mind it." Shadow Man replied.

"Blues! Go!" Enzan commanded.

"Yes, Enzan – sama!"

"Let's finish this."

The Dream Virus suddenly aimed all of its hands at the ground and began to pull upwards: the base broke, revealing its lower body.

"Gruh, gruh, gru~h!"

The thing then formed a cage-like barrier to protect its core as it took out six large curved and shining swords.

"Damn. Phase 2, huh…" Enzan cursed.

"Che." Miyabi grumbled.

"Evil Source!"

Shadow Man distracted it and dodged the swords just in time, so Blues took them out and they emitted a brief flash: Shadow Man grabbed one with both hands and Blues did the same.

"Care for some payback?" Shadow Man invited.

"Yeah! Same thing over here…" Blues replied.

They began to attack the Dream Virus with it and broke the cage-like barrier, thus hitting the core: the core regenerated and began to swing the swords across the air, hitting both of them.

"Damn. This thing evolves." Shadow Man cursed.

"It sure does…" Blues grumbled.

The Dream Virus suddenly crossed its arms and shone with purple energy as zombie-looking Net Navis showed up in front of them.

"Hmpf. Rubbish. Shadow Clone!"

Blues cut the Dream Virus' legs and it collapsed into the ground, so he hit it several times with one of its own weapons.

"Take this!"

"Die."

Both attacked at the same time and the Dream Virus uttered some noises as it extended its neck forward.

"KI~H!"

The thing suddenly exploded and was deleted with a large roar of agony: the light returned to normal and nothing was left behind save for a few pieces of raw data.

"Damn. This thing was no joke." Enzan growled.

"Che. Marlongo ran. Whatever. The lowlife will end up showing its hide around, anyway…" Miyabi grumbled.

"Miyabi! Do you know a guy named Wizzy?"

"Samn Wizzy! The lowlife is also in the club. I'm so gonna have my payback on the lowlife." Miyabi growled.

"Personal stuff…?" Enzan guessed.

"He tried to frame me for the murder of an Ameroupe Congressman. But the FBI and CIA quickly saw through his crappy "evidence". The lowlife is good at stabbing knifes. But when it comes to making complicated plans that's where it fails. I've been on its trail for three years already!" Miyabi explained.

"Whoa. Three years… Ever since 2003, then?"

"Yeah… The lowlife always gives me the slip and navigates through deep circles. But I'll end up handing it to the CIA sooner or later." Miyabi grumbled.

"In any case… We've got no business here anymore, so… Come back, Blues." Enzan commanded.

"Let's head back, Shadow Man. We have scores to settle."

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

"Hmpf. About time…" Shadow Man muttered.

"Puku! Heh, heh, heh! Listen, listen! Puku! Bubble Man – sama's newest "Mini Roids" are on a bargain! Puku! 75% discount! Puku!" Bubble Man suddenly ran in.

"Looking for stray souls?" Shadow Man amusedly asked while glancing at him.

"YA~H! PUKU~! RUN FOR YOUR MINI ROIDS! PUKU~!"

"Shadow Man… I don't get the point of that motto."

"Don't mind it, Miyabi. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

13:22 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So? Have you decided?"

"Yeah. I have."

A girl on her twenties was speaking with Janus.

Her hair split in two directions and it was blond: she wore reading glasses and her eyes' irises were green.

She sported a red and white jumper, a long black skirt and sported long-heeled boots.

"Good enough. By cooperating with us, you'll be capable of having a thrill which no company shall provide you with… Ms. Jess Phoenix and Hawk Man." Janus announced.

The Navi projected himself.

He had two big wings on his back and claws on the hands and feet and his body was covered by brown feathers.

He had a beak and red eyes and his head had just a leather helmet built around it instead of using a sturdier material.

Some blue-colored patterns were printed on his forehead and formed the "tori" or "bird" _Kanji_.

His chest emblem was two red wings set against a blue background.

"I shall follow Ms. Phoenix's orders." He simply stated.

"Excellent. I shall soon grant you a mission." Janus told them.

"Hmpf. Excellent. Goodbye."

"Good afternoon."

Jess Phoenix stepped out while having a smug smile on her face and closed the server room's door: Ivan then removed the disguise and Sergei became visible.

"Heh!" Sergei grinned.

"So… I guess we gotta save the next scene for a further moment. It'll be your second face-off with Cousin Saito." Ivan told him.

"Heh. Obviously, _lil bro_. We'll improve a bit 'long the way, I'd rather say. Using a Dream Virus as a base instead of having to create a whole new Navi from scratch saved us time." Sergei grinned.

"Anyway… I guess it's time to begin our lil show. _Comrade_ is heading over to the Science Labs." Ivan announced.

"Heh. Video Man would've loved to make a film outta it…" Sergei amusedly commented.

"Yeah, _big bro_… It'd seem Raoul is busy with our thugs, so we have nothing to worry regarding the guy. The thugs are mere distractions to keep extra hands tied." Ivan shrugged.

"Show: Start!" Sergei announced.

"PUO~NG!"

"What's that?" Sergei asked.

"My new e-mail alarm. It has a Choina feel to it! Don't ya think so, Mr. Universal Silver?"

"Universal Silver? Is that a pun? Or do you mean "Silver" from the _Pocket Monsters Special_ _manga_ and the "Gold", "Silver" and "Crystal" _Pocket Monsters _games for the GBC?" Sergei questioned.

"Oho-hoh! Mr. Smith wants his laser back."

"What? That email is but the _Pocket Monsters_ fan-forum new post warning!" Sergei argued.

"Let's laser a laser!"

"Call Laser Man."

"And use his power core to create a miniature Death Star! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Yeah, yeah. How funny, really."

17:07 PM (Japan Time)…

"… And I'm glad we weren't there. That server was a trap from the beginning to the end."

"Yeah… Blues told me about that customized Dream Virus which they pulled on him and Shadow Man. And if a sniper wasn't enough, we've got an assassin who tried to frame Miyabi."

Netto and Saito walked inside of the mostly repaired briefing room of the Science Labs that same afternoon while discussing.

"Netto! Saito! That's enough." Yuuichirou told them.

"Huh? What's going on?" Netto asked.

"You suddenly called us over, Papa…" Saito brought up.

"I want to introduce someone. Come in!" Yuuichirou replied.

Obihiro entered: he now wore blue contacts to hide his eye color and also sported a lab coat.

"Obihiro Shun – kun. He's a young researcher who specializes in EM waves and "Dimensional Areas". He comes from the town of Fujimi in the Nagano province. Although he should be a fifth grader, he's been prized with a new study on the interaction between them which we appreciated so we've invited him to cooperate with us." Yuuichirou explained.

"Whoa! Is that - Rock Man?" Shun asked.

"Oh. True… Rock Man has an experimental "Copy Roid"." Yuuichirou replied with a smile.

"Whoa… That hair looks… So real. I mean… I didn't think there was so much of it under the helmet." Shun whistled in surprise.

"That was a trait I purposely programmed. It makes him look more like a person." Yuuichirou smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Shun - kun! I'm Hikari Netto."

"I'm Rock Man. But you can call me Saito."

"Thank you! Meet my Navi: Hunter Man."

"It is an honor." He announced.

"Hey! Rock Man! Meet Hunter Man." Netto told him.

"So. You are Rock Man. I have heard of your exploits." Hunter Man looked intrigued.

"Well…" He scratched the back of his head.

"Let's become companions." Hunter Man suggested.

"Yeah! We'll be good companions." Rock Man replied.

The alarms blared and everyone looked around in a surprised manner before the twins made a grimace.

"You're not gonna tell us Silver Arrow is back at it…" Netto grumbled aloud.

"Demolition Man! He's back for more!" Meijin exclaimed as he came running in.

"Roger, Meijin – san!" Rock Man confirmed.

"… _SAN WA… IRANAI_~!" He exclaimed.

"W-whoa." Obihiro looked surprised.

"Intriguing." Hunter Man merely commented.

Rock Man wasted no time returning to the Link PET.

"Okay! Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

"We're going, too! Plug In! Hunter Man, Transmission!"

Both Navis entered the Cyber World and found several TNT cartridges linked between them with wires: there was a huge amount of them and both made a grimace.

"Shit. If they go off, this time the Science Labs will collapse for sure! I won't let 'em!" Rock Man hissed.

"I'll disable them. Go on ahead." Hunter Man suggested.

"Demolition Man has made it into Level 2! Hurry up and stop him from reaching Level 3!" Meijin reported.

Rock Man ran ahead and found the Level 2 door to be broken: he looked around the tall shaft.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Huh? Where…?"

Demolition Man dropped in: he was holding TNT explosives on both hands and their fuses were already lit.

"Taste my supreme explosives, Rock Man!" He exclaimed.

Two explosions rang out at Rock Man's feet.

"Ya~h!"

Rock Man was sent flying and he landed on the ground in a hard manner, closing his eyes and grumbling.

"O~w…"

Demolition Man choked his neck and lifted him with one hand while he tried to break free.

"Hah! Is that all? I dunno why _Danna Mister_ Janus told us to sod off 'bout ya, but the guy had to be a not-gonna-risk-it-all type. Well! That's fine for me, anyway. As long as I get to shine… Hah, hah, hah!" Demolition Man laughed.

"Janus…?" Rock Man demanded.

"Yeah! Names himself "Demon Tribe Chief" or somethin' like that… Not like I care!" Demolition Man replied.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!" Netto announced.

"What in…!" Demolition Man was baffled.

"HUA~H!"

Rock Man flashed in a purple light and roared. He had gained the famous "Bestialize" form, with the red wings, the beak – like mouth guard and the claws.

"Falzer Claw!"

"What!"

He dashed forward at a mad speed and created a brutal sonic boom before he plunged both claws into the enemy's body and Demolition Man roared in agony.

"MUGRO~H! Damn it all! I'll remember this!"

He managed to "Log-Out" while Rock Man landed on the ground and canceled his transformation: he panted and had trouble standing.

"Good job, Rock Man."

Hunter Man walked in while looking satisfied.

"Hunter Man. Did you neutralize the explosives…?" Rock Man asked as he tried to recover his breath.

"Yeah… We better return." Hunter Man replied.

"Sure… Netto – kun!"

"Plug Out!"

"Shun – sama."

"Plug Out!"

Both Navis returned into their Link PETs and both Operators placed them on the straps.

"I have a hunch that they have more "original" surprises ready to pull on us." Netto grumbled.

"But as long as we work united, we should be able to overpower them and force them to retreat! Right?" Obihiro smiled.

_Hmpf. The day will come! Heh, heh, heh… Smile while you can… _


	6. Chapter 6: The strategist

**Chapter 6: The strategist**

10:33 AM (Japan Time), Saturday September the 18th…

"… Hmmm… Internet City looks calm enough. I guess they'd rather pick discrete spots."

"So it'd seem…"

Rock Man was walking down an Internet City street and looking around the area: there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary.

"Roast Bombs!"

"Yikes!"

He jumped into the air just as four bombs hit the floor and started a large mass of incandescent flames: he then landed some meters away.

"Damn. I think who know who that guy is." He cursed.

"Hah! I'm the superb Flame – Attribute Net Navi: Roast Man! I'm so gonna Roast Man something a la _vinaigrette_."

Roast Man dropped from above a tall building while having two menacing-looking flamethrowers drawn and a smug smile on his face.

"Roast Man. Janus told you to come after me." Rock Man guessed without being surprised.

"Yeah! You also are on my list of rivals!" Roast Man claimed.

"… Damn. The "Fire Soul"…" He grumbled.

"What a crazy dude." Netto grumbled.

"Crazy yerself 'cause ye stepped into the ambush!" Smokin' announced while opening his window.

"Lemme guess: ya used to be a BBQ cook but they fired ya because you ended up serving uneatable meat." Netto guessed.

"Che! Dan Smokin' won't be stopped like that! I've become a professional arsonist! Heh, heh, heh!" Smokin' exclaimed.

"Che. Let's settle this quickly before Internet City gets burnt to the ground… Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!" Netto grumbled before making an announcement.

Rock Man was surrounded by the column of energy.

"HUA~H!"

He flew into the sky and the beating of his wings caused a gust of air which pushed Roast Man back.

"Wha! What power!" He gasped.

"You picked the wrong guy to mess with!" Netto told them.

"Feather Shoot!"

Rock Man took out a special gun and shot several feathers which stabbed into Roast Man's body: he groaned and stepped back.

"Flamethrowers!"

He tried to hit Rock Man with them, but he easily dodged and flew higher while beating his wings, those causing the wind to divert the direction of the flamethrowers' fire.

"Damn! Battle Chip, Air Wheel! Slot In!"

"Air Wheel!"

The Air Wheel created a tornado which sucked Rock Man in and inflicted damage as well as knocking him outta the air and into the ground.

"Grah… Netto – kun! Go for the other one!" He called out.

"Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!"

"HRA~H!"

Rock Man transformed readied his claws: Roast Man stepped back as if he could see he was dealing with a strong guy.

"Damn. This "Net Savior" is no joke! And here I thought it'd be an easy prey…!" He cursed.

"Shit." Smokin' growled.

"Greiga Claw!"

Rock Man dashed forward and delivered three cuts: two of them cut the flamethrowers in half and the other left a deep cut on Roast Man's chest area.

"Grah! Dan! Let's get outta 'ere!" He called out.

"Y-yeah! But one day I'll roast ya!" Smokin' replied.

"You're not running away!" Rock Man told them.

There was a snap of fingers and one of those diamond walls popped out to separate them: Roast Man put up a smug smile and escaped while Rock Man looked at a nearby building's top: Sergei was standing there.

"Sergei! You…!" He cursed.

"Well. Sorry. But our showdown needs to wait. I'm rather busy, Cousin Saito. And I'd better leave before _Comrade_ tries to sneak on me. _Bye – bye_!" He announced.

He logged out just as a shot rang out and flew past the spot he'd been standing at: Search Man became visible.

"Search Man!"

He dropped into the ground and grumbled.

"Hello, Saito. It's been a while." He greeted.

"You were chasing the guy, huh?" Rock Man guessed.

"Yeah. But he noticed me before I could try to set a tracer on him."

"He'd eventually discarded it on the way back…" Netto argued.

"But we'd get an idea of what kind of system he uses at his hideout."

"Oh. True… Anyway… I'd say we be careful when it comes to these guys: having an assassin and a sniper roaming out there is enough to make me feel nervous the whole time." Netto warned.

"Yeah. I get that same feeling, too." Laika admitted.

"By the way… We've found out why Ivan goes by that "Janus" alias: Janus is the Roman two-faced God. See the point?" Search Man brought up.

"Of course: he must be posing as an adult while he's a guy our age." Rock Man spotted.

"Why don't we go talk with Commissioner Kifune?" Laika suggested.

"Yeah. We need to report today's incident. Let's head back, Rock Man."

"O. K., Netto – kun."

"Search Man. Return."

"Roger, Laika – sama."

They both exited the spot and a figure looked at the main street from a side alley: they looked amused.

"Hmmm… Bestialize. It might be hard to handle." They muttered.

"Yeah. Anyway… Our job here is done. Come back, Stratega." A girl's voice replied.

"Roger."

"Guts… Onion, one kilogram… Spices, two kilograms… Guts… And, after that… Huh… Huh…" Guts Man muttered as he walked down a nearby street seemingly running errands.

"Soy sauce. Cumin, two kilograms… Cinnamon, three kilograms… Some coriander too… Turmeric would do fine too. And Garam Masala too, Guts Man." Tomahawk Man listed next as he walked across the street alongside him.

"Not so fast, de guts! I can't remember more than three things at the same time! Guts!" Guts Man protested.

"Jeez. When will someone fix that?" He rolled his eyes.

"Dunno. Guts, guts."

10:48 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

A girl walked around fifteen or sixteen years old stepped into Silver Arrow's HQ main room.

Her curly hair was colored brown and her eyes' irises were green in color: she had reading glasses on.

She wore a green wool jumper and navy blue jeans: her sneakers were white with black strings.

She also carried a brow attaché case on her right hand.

"Ah! _Señorita_ Victoria Pueblera… How did it go?" Janus greeted as he looked up from the monitor.

"It was pretty interesting. It was worth my time being invited to Silver Arrow: I can now use my skills to gather useful combat data. Anyway… Stratega! Go and report to Janus – sama." Victoria Pueblera replied before calling out for her Navi.

A Navi appeared with the holographic display.

Two strings of black hair came out from behind her Roman-stylized helmet and her eyes' irises were blue in color.

She wore a black vest with some green spots and a red and purple knee-long skirt: her emblem was the initials "SPQR" painted golden and set against a black background.

Her blue boots had black patterns which climbed up until they reached the knees.

She held an open e-book on her right hand.

"… The "Bestialize" ability is no joke. It might be hard to handle."

"I guessed so. He's still skilled at using that ability. Anyway… Continue to survey his battle strategies." Janus muttered before commanding her.

"Tee, heh, heh. My pleasure…" Pueblera giggled.

"Please leave it to us." Stratega added.

"_Hasta luego, Señorita_ Pueblera."

"_Hasta luego_."

Pueblera hummed a tune as she headed towards the door and closed it on her way out.

"Tee, heh, heh, ehh!"

Ivan canceled his disguise and Sergei deactivated his stealth camouflage while looking amused.

"I might need to show up more often than I thought. They're intended into catching our Navi members." Sergei brought up.

"Yeah. We don't want 'em spoiling the thrill of our hideout. Have you worked on how you'll stage your next confrontation with Cousin Saito, _big bro_?" Ivan commented before asking.

"Yeah. It'll be thrilling." Sergei grinned.

"Hmpf. True."

Ivan resumed typing into the computer and from time to time, he would engaged a printer set on a shelf below the screen and above the computer itself to print some documents and read them along with Sergei.

"Hmmm… This list looks better with every passing day." Sergei commented as he looked up from it.

"Yeah! It's easy to find guys and girls who are gonna go for it and have some thrill. The only flaw is that we don't have a set "ultimate goal" as of yet… We're stuck." Ivan replied before sighing.

"Hmmm… Why don't we be copycats?" Sergei suddenly suggested.

"Copycats? Why. You just gave me the necessary inspiration. We're gonna recreate your predecessor's scheme." Ivan grinned.

"My predecessor? Oh. I know who you mean, _lil bro_." Sergei frowned before grinning.

"Heh, heh, heh… We're so gonna create a Demon World. They should start to pray to Kami – sama." Ivan chuckled.

"Demon World... Splendid." Sergei muttered.

"PARRA~NG!"

"Another e-mail alert?" Sergei groaned.

"They drive you mad, eh, _big bro_?" Ivan grinned.

"Yeah. A lot." He grumbled.

"Let's see… Oho – hoh! Clark Kent is quitting!"

"No way Super Man would quit." Sergei was skeptical.

"Way! He got diagnosed with Kryptonite Cancer!"

"Cancer isn't something to joke about." Sergei scolded.

"Tell that to the genius who wrote this." Ivan shrugged.

"Yeah. I'm so gonna do that."

"Yo and behold! Another 10 days and _Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl_ will be out! I'm so gonna get my subtle hands on them!"

"Subtle hands… Sure, sure." Sergei kept on being skeptical.

"Heh, heh, heh. Guess this is where we look more like Cousin Netto and Cousin Saito, eh, _big bro_?"

"It was inevitable, _lil bro_." He shrugged.

"They should Satoshi he's out of his league by now. It's time for Red to take up his spot. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"You've been reading too much _Pocket Monsters Special_."

"I dunno why they always pick September to release the games. Two years ago they released _Emerald_. They think 9's a lucky number. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"Sure, sure. Let's get back to work already."

11:11 AM (Japan Time)…

"… We rounded up five thugs today. They keep on increasing. The police is doing a good job, though."

"Yeah. Damn them."

Miyabi and Raoul were walking down a street and talking.

"Hmpf. You stinking lowlifes… The _Naraku_ will take in your pitiful existences…" Shadow Man muttered.

"Dunno what that is. But I guess it's gotta be Hell." Thunder Man shrugged.

"Yeah. But worse." Shadow Man announced.

"Then they really deserve it." Thunder Man agreed on it.

"So? Have you identified that young boy who shows up on their databases?" Raoul asked.

"Yeah. Eboshi Shuuichi. He was, in the past, manipulated by a "Phantom Navi": Hat Man. He is a classmate of Hikari Netto in the B class." Miyabi listed.

"Hat Man… Wasn't there a magician named Mr. Hat?" Raoul frowned and seemed to remember it.

"Yeah. I heard he's famous all around the world. Eboshi is his son." Miyabi confirmed.

"What a bunch of creeps." Raoul grumbled.

"They want war? They have it at their ugly door's threshold." Miyabi dully replied.

"Hmmm… Huh? Ah!" Raoul muttered before spotting something and gasping in surprise.

"What?"

"Look there!"

Both looked at their left to see Sergei standing next to a street light and looking amused.

"Hiya. Where's the sacred maiden at? If you tell me I might spare your lives." He grinned.

"Sacred maiden..?" Raoul sounded baffled.

"Don't mind it. It's copying a fantasy game villain." Miyabi told Raoul in a dull tone of voice.

"My, my… It can't be helped! Maybe your old rivals will be able to refresh your memories? _Ciao_!"

Sergei snapped his right hand's fingers and vanished in the usual manner: Bright Man and Sword Man materialized and faced them.

"Damn. The punk!" Raoul cursed.

"The bank-robber…!" Miyabi cursed.

"Yay! _Check it out_! Bright Beam!"

"Sonic Blade!"

Both dodged just in time and stood up while cursing.

"Raoul. Run. I'll stall for time: we need backup." Miyabi instructed to Raoul.

"_O. K.!_"

"You lowlifes. Didn't you lowlifes have a score to settle?" Miyabi taunted with a smug smile.

"… _Check it out_! Sword Man! Why do I have to be teamed with ya of all people?" Bright Man cursed.

"Shut up. You're no more than a little grunt which sparkles." Sword Man's read head replied.

"Ya jerk!"

"Be at peace!"

"What!"

"What!"

"Ugly!"

"_Baka_~!"

"Miyabi? Laika – kun is almost there." Meijin told him.

"Good. Go ahead and deploy the "Dimensional Area"." Miyabi replied.

"Roger! Dimensional Area: Activate!"

The "Dimensional Area" formed and Miyabi spotted Laika catching up with him: both nodded in agreement.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Both performed "Cross Fusion" and faced their opponents.

"_Check it out_! The green jerk is back!" Bright Man cursed.

"Ah! The _ninja_ came!" Sword Man gasped.

"Interesting. It'd seem their memories as both "Darkloid" and "Asteroid" have been assembled into them." Shadow Man commented.

"So it'd seem." Search Man calmly replied.

"Che! Sword Press!"

"Energy Ball!"

Both dodged the attacks and the two enemies seemed to be getting infuriated.

"Bright Beam!"

"Grand Sword!"

"Shadow Blade!"

"Satellite Ray!"

The Satellite Ray's beam shot through Bright Man.

"_Check it out!"_

His data broke apart in the same manner as a "Phantom Navi" (his data suddenly began to pour out at a mad speed and his body got erased) and he was deleted.

"Che! The "Phantom Navis" again…!" "CF" Laika cursed.

"Be glad: they're not diehard lowlifes!" "CF" Miyabi added.

"Grand Sword!"

"CF" Miyabi ducked and plunged his _katana_ into Sword Man's chest: it emerged from behind.

"Impossible~!"

He was deleted as well and both combatants sighed in relief as the "Dimensional Area" faded.

"Damn. As if rounding up thugs wasn't "exciting" enough, he now wants to make us sweat by using these." Miyabi cursed.

"Che. Eyesores." Laika grumbled.

They didn't spot Pueblera switching off a video camera and looking amused.

"Tee, heh, heh. Janus – sama will appreciate this footage." She muttered with obvious amusement.

"Obviously." Stratega added.

"… What? Sword Man and Bright Man? "Phantom Navis"?"

"Yeah! He keeps on going around with that silly "sacred maiden" talk, too. It's starting to irritate me."

Netto and Saito were surprised when Laika told them the news.

"Luckily… Since they were "Phantom Navis", it was easy deleting them, see. But they had their memories as both "Darkloid" and "Asteroid". Miyabi managed to bring up their old rivalry and stall for time."

"That's a weird cocktail." Saito commented.

"And it's worse than a Molotov cocktail, too." Search Man grumbled.

"I'll go report this stuff. See you two around."

"Goodbye, Laika."

"Take care, Saito."

"Thank you, Search Man."

Netto looked frustrated while Saito looked worried.

"Damn. This is spiraling out of control." He cursed.

"I hate being defeatist. But so it'd seem." Saito sighed.

"Puku! Heh, heh, heh! Knock, knock!"

"Bubble Man's knocking at the outmost firewall?" Netto frowned.

"Leave it up to me. Behold! Shade Man – sama's half-brother is about to take over the throne!" Saito announced.

"WHA~T? PUKU~! NO HALF-BROTHER IS GONNA SHUN THE MEMORY OF SHADE MAN – SAMA~! PUKU~!"

"There. See?" Saito grinned.

"Whoa. _Nice_, Saito – niisan."

"I just had to bring up something which would annoy him a lot and it'd fill the whole of his head. He'd then run off without thinking it twice, start to yell it around Internet City, and finally realize he fell for a trap and thus realize it's useless to trick us." Saito exposed.

"Whoa. You'll beat Laika to planning at this rate."

"Heh, heh, heh! That'd be cool to check out."

"Yeah. We shouldn't let them turn us nervous. We should make them get nervous too." Netto grinned.

"Then let's combine our strength and create infinite strength!"


	7. Chapter 7: It's the ladies' turn

**Chapter 7: It's the ladies' turn**

08:27 AM (Japan Time), Sunday September the 19th…

"… Cutting Flower!"

A female Navi was standing inside of a network somewhere.

Some yellowish patterns traveled across her helmet's forehead forming the drawing of a tree without leaves: her eyes' irises were purple.

She was of standard height (close to a meter and seventy) and she was colored brown except for the forearms, which were colored in a shade of pink: her emblem was a flower's yellow nucleus with eight cobalt petals.

She had heeled boots colored black.

She threw the same flower towards a Mettool and sliced it in half.

"Hmpf!"

A Garuu showed up next and shot fire towards her, but she jumped into the air.

"Battle Chip, Mega Cannon! Slot In!" A woman's voice commanded.

"Mega Cannon!"

She aimed at the Garuu's mouth as it was about to attack and destroyed it: she made a smug smile.

"Heh."

A standard Navi armed with two Long Swords showed up next: she landed on the ground and procured a black thorn-filled whip: she licked her lips and looked psychotic.

"Eat medicine!"

She swung it and coiled it around the enemy's right leg: she then tugged it and made it them the ground before she pressed the heel of her right boot against its chest.

"Hmpf. Men. Vanish." She scoffed.

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!"

She sliced off his neck while having a psychotic looking grin on her face.

"Hmpf. Weak." She boasted.

"Yeah. True." The Operator confirmed.

A woman on her late twenties or early thirties walked inside of Silver Arrow's HQ server room.

Her hair was short and tinted red while her eyes' irises were blue.

She wore a jeans and a green raincoat above a reddish shirt.

She was looking at herself in a small portable mirror with a serious and dull face.

"Good afternoon, Nemenaya Mies – san. Are all preparations complete, am I to assume?" Janus greeted as he turned the revolving chair around to face her.

Nemenaya closed the mirror and pocketed it on the raincoat: she looked up and folded her arms.

"Hmpf. So… We finally get a decent target?" She asked.

"Yeah. The target might be a bit busy right now but it shouldn't be much of a trouble: you'll go and deal thoroughly with it. You should teach it your arts." Janus told them.

"Interesting, Mies – sama. It is worth a try, is it not?" The Navi asked.

"Yeah, Salome." Nemenaya confirmed.

Janus rummaged in the desk and took out a paper plane: he threw it towards Nemenaya, who caught it and looked at something which was written on it.

"It's not any grunt. A "Net Savior"… This'll be worth our time, even! Tee, heh, heh." She muttered before she giggled.

"_Good luck_. You'll need it, I believe."

08:49 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hawk Claw!"

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable Sword! Slot In!"

Rock Man drew the Neo Variable Sword and blocked off Hawk Mans' attempt to hit him with his claws.

"Hrah!"

"Hrua~h!"

They struggled in the deadlock, but Hawk Man suddenly moved upwards and dragged Rock Man along, to his surprise.

"Wha! Netto – kun! I need the "Falzer" form!" He called out.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!"

"HUA~H!"

Rock Man gained the Falzer form and canceled his Neo Variable Sword to break free and float in the air.

"Heh! It's become interesting." Hawk Man looked amused.

"Che." Rock Man grumbled.

"Battle Chip, Custom Bolt! Slot In!"

"Custom Bolt!"

"Heh! Air Dive!"

Hawk Man shot higher into the "sky" while Rock Man's attack missed: he gasped.

"I missed?"

"You fool!"

Hawk Man then dived and rammed into him until they crashed against the ground with Hawk Man having plunged his claws into Rock Man's shoulders.

"Grah!"

"Heh."

"Damn. Battle Chip, Salamander! Slot In!"

Rock Man was surrounded by the Salamander and Hawk Man had to break apart to avoid being burnt by it: Rock Man shot upwards and then plummeted towards Hawk Man.

"Battle Chip, Curse Shield! Slot In!" Phoenix announced.

The Curse Shield popped out, but Rock Man broke through it and hit the enemy, setting him on fire.

"GRUO~H!"

He roared and then had to step back while smoking and having several burnt marks on his body: he panted and growled something under his breath.

"W-why didn't the Curse Shield stop his movements…?"

"Did you think these forms are just for show-off? They increase Rock Man's power, too! Thus, his power was too much for the Curse Shield to handle." Netto told them.

"Hmpf. Then you are no rookie." Phoneix scoffed.

"Janus told ya that?" Netto sounded skeptical.

"No. You looked like it."

"Heh! You're like many others: you fail to see that anyone can be powerful with enough training!"

"Damn. I feel like I've been roasted alive." Hawk Man grumbled.

"Want some more?" Rock Man challenged.

"I'm off!"

"Damn. And I know who's gonna come." Netto grumbled as if foreseeing what was gonna happen next.

"Me!" A female voice exclaimed.

Salome dropped in while having a smug smile on her face.

"Janus – sama orders you two to pull back." Nemenaya told them.

"Hmpf. What are ya? His lapdog?" Phoenix scoffed.

"How dare cha!" Nemenaya growled.

"Maybe you want another round?" Salome taunted Hawk Man.

"Grfjtx! Plug Out!"

Hawk Man escaped while Salome faced Rock Man.

"… So. You wanna take me on." Rock Man calmly guessed.

"I'm not going to "take you on". I'm going to teach you a lesson which you won't ever forget." She announced in a strange tune of voice.

She took out the black whip and Netto gasped in horror: he suddenly turned pale as his eyes widened and his hands trembled.

_Damn. Ivan knew this and he's planning to inflict PSTD into otouto by bringing up what happened in May!_

"Netto – kun! I need a Chip!" He called out.

"… Huh? Ah! Yeah, yeah…! Chip, Chip…! Eh… Yeah! Battle Chip, Machinegun! Slot In!" Netto snapped out of it.

Rock Man drew the weapon and shot several rounds towards Salome, who merely made a smug smile and brought up her left hand: she had built what seemed to be a circular cobalt-colored shield there: it made the rounds bounce off it.

"Hmpf."

"Damn." Netto cursed.

Rock Man merely beat his wings and shot skywards.

"Feather Shoot!"

He took out the special weapon and shot several feathers towards Salome: they made contact but a cloud of smoke ensued and a _chibi_ doll was left on her place.

"_Kawarimi_!" Rock Man gasped.

"Yeah! Lesson One: never stand up to your Mistress!" Salome's voice rang out from behind.

Rock Man felt a kick on his back and he was propelled towards the ground but he managed to brake and land while turning around.

"Where…?" He wondered.

"Lesson Two: always kneel in front of your Mistress!"

Rock Man felt the whip hitting his back, but thanks to the extra armor the "Falzer" form provided, he didn't notice it.

"Battle Chip, Hell's Burner! Slot In!"

"Hell's Burner!"

Rock Man turned around and shot a stream of fire, but it bounced off that same shield.

"Lesson Three: you're a servant. You are not allowed to see the glorious form of your Mistress or argue. You will obey and live." Salome announced next.

"I dunno what you mean: all I know is that you're the enemy." Rock Man grumbled.

"Hmpf. It's useless to pretend." She shot back.

"Battle Chip, Super North Wind! Slot In!"

The two spirals cut through the shield but she merely drew her whip and shot it forward: it coiled around Rock Man's right leg but he didn't notice that or paid no particular heed to begin with.

"My "Falzer" form gives me extra armor. I don't feel anything." He calmly told her.

"Che. Eyesore." She grumbled.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Dream Sword!"

The Program Advance shot forward but Salome merely stood there and let it hit her: she didn't blink at all.

"Battle Chip, Muramasa Blade! Slot In!"

"I win!"

"Battle Chip, Shirahadori! Slot In!"

Rock Man stopped the blade with both claws and then broke it, to her astonishment.

"No way!" She cursed.

"Way." He dully replied.

"Obey me, servant!" She commanded.

"Who said I was your "servant"?" Rock Man didn't seem to be impressed at all.

"Che! Bothersome men." She cursed.

"I'm not a "man". Legally speaking, I'm still a "boy"!" Rock Man corrected with a hint of annoyance.

"Hmpf. Politics." She scoffed.

"It's not "politics"! It's common sense!" He complained.

"Shut the hell up! Die, then!" She roared.

"Battle Chip, Tank Cannon! Slot In!"

"Eat this!"

The tank cannon's powered blast hit her fully and sent her flying until she crashed in a hard manner across the ground: se cursed and stood up while panting: her body had several bruises there and there.

"… My appearance…! You ruined my appearance! Unforgivable! Rock Man!" She cursed.

"You attacked me. It's obvious I would defend myself." He shrugged and didn't seem to care.

"Hmpf! Brag while you can. One day I shall make you a prisoner of the Sapphire Kingdom. Then you shall lose your sanity and become good merchandise." She announced.

"… Damn. An S&M sadist…" Netto cursed.

"Oh… So you've had experiences with one." Nemenaya teased.

"Need Not To Know." He shot back.

"Hmpf. Interesting." She looked amused.

"Playtime's over." Someone announced.

Rock Man looked at a higher platform and spotted Sergei standing there while humming the _Imperial March_ tune from _Star Wars_.

"… Sergei." He icily muttered.

"Heh. We meet again, Link – kun!" He announced.

"… Is that your new nickname for me or what?" He questioned.

"Huh? Ops! I got carried asides… Cousin Saito." He corrected himself.

"Salome. We've gotta pull out. Sergei – dono will take care of the rest in a gallant manner." Nemenaya ordered.

"Roger, Mies – sama. Remember it, Rock Man! Such is your fate! Bwah, hah, hah, hah!"

She escaped out while Saito aimed the Feather Shoot at Sergei: he lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"Sorry. But our showdown will have to wait. Will you play with my new-brand pet in the meanwhile?" He replied with a smile.

"Damn." He cursed.

"We're in trouble." Netto cursed.

"Bravo, Cousin Netto. You're starting to realize the limitations of your own power." Ivan teased.

"Shut the trap up." Netto growled.

"Hmpf. _Bye – bye_!"

He snapped his right hand's fingers and vanished.

"Che!"

The whole area became filled with sand and turned into a desert-like terrain and something crawled under the sand.

"Desert Man or what?"

That "something" suddenly jumped out of the sand: it was a gigantic black scorpion with two pincers and a tail which had a red eye with a blue rim and another two eyes inside each pincer: a holographic screen popped out above its form.

"Millennial Armored Insect: Mordogatto"

"Guess that's its name…" Netto rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. And it looks menacing enough." Saito grumbled.

The scorpion suddenly moved its right claw forward and caught Saito before it then tensed its needle and moved it towards Saito.

"Battle Chip, Heat Body! Slot In!"

The Heat Body melted the claw and allowed Saito to break free just in time as the needle hit the sand: the scorpion then tried to catch him with the left claw.

"Falzer Claw!"

Rock Man cut it off and the scorpion dived under the sand while seemingly trying to pull a surprise attack on him.

"Che. Come out, you monster!" He challenged.

The scorpion came out and tried to use its tail, but Rock Man plunged both claws into the eye and it let out a pitchy shriek before it broke down into data.

"… Too easy." He grimly muttered.

"Great Lion Head!"

"Gra~h!"

The attack caught him off-guard and kicked him across the sand as Desert Man appeared.

"Ho, ho, ho…"

"Desert Man again!" He cursed.

"You're not gonna tell me Sunayama is around here." Netto grimly muttered.

"Yo! Someone called me?"

Sunayama Noboru opened his communications window and pushed his hat a bit upwards.

"Sunayama!" Netto cursed.

"That's a cool man's name!" He exclaimed.

"Sergei approached you!" Rock Man guessed.

"… Yeah… A really good fella… He gladly provided me with _Field Power Bonus_… Today shall be you lowlife's end! Rock Man!" Desert Man proclaimed before he began to laugh.

"I don't think so. Ice Tower!"

"Guoh!"

Freeze Man's diamond suddenly dropped in while Desert Man had gotten a large and ugly-looking wound on his body.

"W-why, you…!" He cursed.

"Ah! Freeze Man! Shuryou got a hold of this?" Rock Man guessed.

"Correct. He still wants this one to pay for his murder attempt." Freeze Man confirmed from inside of the diamond.

"What murder attempt?" Sunayama frowned.

"That was before he became an "Asteroid"." Rock Man let out.

"My, my. You must mean "Nebula", then. It'd seem they were really serious, after all. But I rather doubt them of being able to sprout this show. Heh, heh, heh…" Sunayama looked amused.

"Che! Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!"

Rock Man became "Greiga" and quickly shot forward.

"Greiga Claw!"

He made several cuts to Desert Man and plunged both claws into his forehead.

"Guo~h!"

"Ice Stage!"

The ground became ice and Desert Man looked around: he had nowhere to hide at and he was leaking data from the earlier wounds.

"S-shit…" He growled.

"Damn. I'll be back!" Sunayama threatened.

Desert Man escaped and both Navis sighed in relief.

"Good thinking, Freeze Man." Rock Man told him.

"Thanks. Once you change the terrain, he lost his bonus, so that's why he had to run off." Freeze Man sounded amused.

"I owe one to Shuryou. I better remember to return the favor." Netto sighed in relief.

"Don't mind it. I'll be going. Farewell."

Freeze Man's diamond floated upwards while Rock Man canceled his "Greiga" form and stretched.

"Okay. Let's head back, otouto."

"Roger! Plug Out!"

Saito returned to the PET and then projected into the real world while removing his helmet.

"Maybe they're not that hard to handle after all… But we'll have to stay cool and remember to count on our friends." Saito commented.

"Yeah. I feel motivated by now." Netto smiled.

"Puku! I'm not gonna fall for the same trick twice! Puku! You WILL buy my Anti – Eyesore Cannon! Puku!"

"Try beating Napalm Man's guns before that." Saito challenged.

"Napalm Man, puku?"

"Yeah. A fire-works maker... The hottest Navi on Earth..."

"Heh, heh, heh! Puku! If I beat 'em then Bubble Man – sama is gonna be the coolest Water – Attribute Net Navi out there then! Puku! Get ready, de puku! I won't lose to that punk like I did to the "rare metal" safe a LONG time ago! Puku!"

"So! As we thought: he was the author of those tooth marks when he'd attempted to steal off the "rare metal" which Burner Man then got his hands on." Netto wasn't surprised.

"He's predictable. Napalm Man will boil him into steam. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!" Saito giggled.

"Huh… Well… I dunno why… But… I feel like the roles got switched around… Whatever. Ivan! I'm gonna beat you! Get ready!"


	8. Chapter 8: The transfer student

**Chapter 8: The transfer student**

12:29 PM (Japan Time), Sunday September the 19th…

"… Miss Patricia Levé. I've got an important job for you."

Janus was speaking with a girl: she looked about twenty years old and wore a normal middle school uniform.

A long stream of bluish hair reached almost to the ground: she had green-colored eye-irises and was smiling.

"Perfect. I'm a good actress myself. I can take on any role." She announced with a smile.

"Good. You will play the role of a middle school first grade student: I need you to monitor two individuals. Your role will begin next Monday: September the 20th…" Janus instructed.

"A middle school student… Amusing." She looked amused.

"Yeah! We're gonna have a thrill, Patricia – chan!"

A female Navi projected herself.

She also had long hair which reached the ground colored green: her eye irises were sapphire blue.

Her main body colored was sapphire although her forearms and boots were colored emerald with some ruby-like lines drawn across them: Her emblem was a stylized "R" colored cyan with the Sun as background.

"Yeah. I knew you'd agree on it, Riva." Levé grinned.

"Good. Make the necessary preparations: I've already arranged everything so that your entrance is smooth and doesn't stand out."

"I understand. Please leave it to me." She smiled.

"… Heh. Cousin Netto needs to learn what having a leech roaming around you means." Ivan muttered once they were alone.

"Heh. So true. Let's start Operation: Leech. _Lil bro_." Sergei added.

08:07 AM (Japan Time), Monday September the 20th…

"… Everyone! Today we have a new student who has transferred from another school in the city of Daito in the Oosaka Prefecture. Please come in." The homeroom teacher announced.

Levé walked in: she wrote her name on the blackboard and smiled while looking at the class.

"Greetings, everyone. My name is Patricia Levé. I am glad to be here."

"There's an empty table there, Patricia - chan. You may pick it"

The teacher signaled a desk at Netto's left: she walked there and sat down.

"Let's start the class, shall we?" The teacher announced.

"_Hai_~!"

"… It's nice to meet you. I am Riva." Riva announced.

"My name is Rock Man. I'm glad to meet you, Riva – chan."

"I'm Roll. It's nice to meet you."

"Guts, guts! I'm Guts Man! The pleasure's mine, Riva – chan!"

"I am Glyde. It's an honor meeting you, Riva – san."

"I'm Ice Man. Nice meeting you, Riva – san, desu."

"Thanks a lot, everyone." Riva smiled.

"Oh. Wait…"

Rock Man glanced at the classroom's entrance.

"… _Buruusu_. Show your shades." Rock Man called out.

Blues walked in while looking amused.

"It'd seem you keep on having a sharp eye…"

"Let me introduce you to Blues. He's a friend." Rock Man announced.

"I'm Riva! Nice to meet you."

"Hmmm…" Blues looked suspicious all of a sudden.

"W-what?" Riva wondered.

"… Blues. Training." Rock Man called out.

"Yeah. When?" Blues seemed to snap outta it.

"Maybe this same Wednesday will do fine?" Rock Man suggested.

"I'm afraid not. Enzan – sama has an executive council meeting. They tend to get long."

"Then… Friday?" He suggested next.

"Friday could be fine." Blues shrugged.

"Good. And don't give those looks: you're about to blow the cover up! Try to be more natural…" He told him in a hushed tone.

"… Yeah. You're right. Well then… Later, Rock Man."

"Goodbye, _Buruusu_."

Blues merely waved a hand before he stepped out: Riva looked somewhat amused.

_Heh. Those looks he had… Sure, the shades hid his eyes, but… That hushed tone at the end… Training? Tee, heh, heh… No… There's an affair here! A manly affair, it would seem… Tee, heh, heh…_

Riva inwardly giggled while she began to read up some school rules over a holographic screen.

_Well! Let's keep the appearances up: they won't suspect anything, anyway. They're too _naïve!

"… What are your hobbies, Hikari – kun?"

"Heh, heh! I'm a pro when it comes to Net Battles."

Levé was talking with the other students later, during break time.

"That's wrong! Patricia – chan: I _am_ the number one Net Battler in this class! Ooyama Dekao – sama!" Dekao boasted.

"And Gorilla Man." Meiru added.

"Wha!" Dekao gasped.

"What's with that face? It's the truth." She dully replied while looking unimpressed.

"No way… Dingo's bad luck is hitting me!" He cursed.

He suddenly ran off the classroom while Netto stood up and stretched for some seconds.

"I'm gonna go have some fresh air. I'll be back in a while." He announced with a smile.

"Good! Later." Levé smiled.

Netto whistled a tune and exited the class: only Meiru and Levé were left and the atmosphere seemed to turn tense.

"Ahem, ahem."

Meiru cleared her throat behind Patricia.

"Hmmm? What's up, Sakurai - san?"

"Don't try anything funny involving Netto. He is my neighbor and childhood friend." She warned while leaning both hands in her desk and eyeing her with a suspicious glare.

"Oh… You must think I'm a boyfriend thief?" She teased.

"No. You're the personification of the women's toilet omen." Meiru put up a smug smile.

"T-the women's toilet omen…?" She asked.

"Oh? Did you know? A student set fire to it along with her own useless hide years ago! They say her ghost goes around on cursing…" Meiru told her with a sinister smile.

"N-no way…!" She gasped.

"What was Nebula's motto…? Ah. Yeah, yeah. "Spread terror and fear across the world"… I find it fitting." Meiru told her.

"Che! No drama girl's ghost is gonna scare me!" She announced.

"Brag while you can." Meiru challenged.

Levé stood up and looked about to explode while Meiru looked like she'd been expecting such a reaction all along.

"This gal…! This gal goes and…! Laughs at my face…!" She hissed.

"Hmpf. And that makeup is horrible, by the way." Meiru replied.

"W-what!"

"…"Eternal youth"… Cha must be going by that fantasy. Don't make me laugh. Cha are not a middle school student." Meiru told her.

"I am!" She protested.

"Heh. No, no… I've seen through everything: you're a serial boyfriend thief! That's your true identity!" Meiru told her.

"… Hmpf!"

She sat down on her chair and folded her arms while playing the offended while Meiru grinned.

"And the same goes for that crappy Navi cha have." Meiru added with a smug smile and sounding out-of-character.

"What!" Riva uttered.

"Competency!" Roll told her.

"Grjtfx!" Patricia grumbled.

"Shoo, shoo!"

"Shoo, shoo yourself, you!"

"Bring it on, you!"

11:23 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmpf…"

A woman on her late twenties walked into Silver Arrow's HQ server room with an uninterested glare.

Her hair was colored black and her brown-irises eyes looked bored.

She wore a sea blue raincoat and four metallic armlets on her forearms: her boots were colored black.

"Greetings, Ms. Samantha Brekez." Janus greeted.

"So… Cha have work for me, huh?" She went straight to the point.

"Yeah. I'll give you an account with 9500 as prepayment. You're free to draw out another 9500." Janus announced.

"… 9500… Cha must be the weirdo type. Whatever. Tell me what the heck cha want." She shrugged.

"I have good security. But I feel unsatisfied. Thus, I need you and your Net Navi, Armored Man, to bring over components to assemble a new and extra firewall." Janus listed.

"Good enough… Armored Man! Work."

A Navi projected himself with the hologram.

He had a metallic armored helmet having screws to connect the different parts on along with a mouth guard: his eyes' irises were blue.

He was tall and had armor pieces on the shoulders and chest: he was colored in bright metallic color with some random color stains around his body: his emblem was a simple steel plate.

"By your orders, Brekez – sama."

"Okay, _Boss…_ Gimme that account number and we'll then get work: my custom firewalls are serious stuff." She shrugged.

"Perfect. Let's get to work, then. The sooner the better."

16:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Wow! This is the amusement park? It's huge!"

"Heh, heh! You don't get bored here."

Netto, Meiru, Dekao, Hikawa, Yaito and Patricia were walking around the amusement park and Patricia looked surprised.

"Heh."

Meiru had a smug grin on her face which puzzled Yaito and made both Hikawa and Dekao look afraid of such a face.

"What's with Meiru – chan?" She wondered.

"Scary, scary…!" Both Hikawa and Dekao muttered.

Since Netto was ahead of them, he didn't see it but Levé looked over her shoulder from time to time in a nervous manner.

"Hikari Netto."

"Huh? Miyabi…"

Dark Miyabi walked next to him and signaled for him to come.

"Eh… Sorry. It's serious stuff." He apologized.

He walked five steps away and next to a tree.

"What's up? Another thug…?" He asked.

"Yeah. However… The target was Eboshi. Remember him?" Miyabi asked in a hushed tone.

"Eboshi… Eboshi Shuuichi – kun!" He gasped.

"Nothing happened 'cause the police got them just in the middle of their debate, but… One of them slipped out. And it was a woman. So be careful: they could try to impersonate someone you know. Try asking something which only the real one should know." Miyabi warned.

"O. K." Netto nodded in understanding.

"… For example… That little girl… You know her?" Miyabi questioned.

"Huh… She's a transfer student who joined us today… But… Do you know that woman's age or height?" Netto asked in a whisper.

"Yeah. They don't match. Ruled out." Miyabi quickly replied.

"Phew." Netto sighed in relief.

"Rock Man. Same thing for you… I know Navis don't get targeted. But you were in the list, too." Shadow Man told him.

"Yeah. I was expecting that to happen." Rock Man calmly replied.

"That's all for today. Do not lower you guard, Hikari Netto." Miyabi told him with his serious look.

"Roger."

Miyabi merely stepped away and departed the area while Netto headed over to the others: they were talking about something while Meiru kept on looking amused.

"Yo! Sorry for the hold-up." He apologized.

"Who was that scary man?" Levé asked.

"Eh… Dark Miyabi. He's a… guy I know. He had to give me some important info." Netto replied.

"Oh…"

"By the way, Meiru – chan… What's with that face?" Netto asked while lifting his eyebrows.

"Hmpf." She merely replied.

"O-okay… I guess you won the lottery. Let's keep on." Netto gulped and looked at the others.

They resumed their march while Levé kept on gulping as Meiru stared at her.

"Roll – chan… You look scary today." Rock Man commented.

"Hmpf. Obviously." She replied.

"… Oh. Riva – chan's presence triggers her jealousy…" He grimly muttered to his own.

"Hmpf. Get ready. I'm so gonna beat you over and over again." Roll muttered with a hint of amusement.

"… That guy had to be the _ninja_ _Boss_ talked 'bout… And it'd seem I'm not the only one in the business."

"Yeah. You aren't. You're a new face."

"Yikes!"

Sgt. Sneaky had been muttering aloud as he spied from a nearby set of trees when a voice rang out with a hint of annoyance from behind him: he turned pale and turned around while drawing a Beretta PX4 from his inner pocket.

"Who are ya?"

The one standing before him was Gospel Shuryou: he had his arms folded and even while his face didn't transmit any emotions, he seemed to be rather annoyed.

"W-who the…! An _otaku_?" Sgt. Sneaky demanded.

"_Otaku_…? Hah. Very funny. Speak." Gospel Shuryou dully replied before commanding him.

"I won't: you're dead _otaku_!" Sgt. Sneaky announced.

Something suddenly flew across the air and knocked the Beretta off his right hand: a _kunai_ did.

"Hmpf. I thought as much."

Dark Miyabi dropped from inside of the tree's foliage while aiming another _kunai_ at him. Sgt. Sneaky looked both front and behind: he was cornered.

"So?" Gospel questioned.

"Damn it! You guys are facing Sgt. Fidel Sneaky: a good veteran Cuban! I won't be caught so easily!" He exclaimed.

He drew a scout knife and aimed it at Miyabi: he knocked it out of his hand just by hitting it with the _kunai_.

"Veteran? No. You're a wannabe." Gospel corrected.

"Yeah. And you work for that Janus lowlife."

"Shit." He hissed.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… What foolish bothersome guys!" A voice rang out with a hint of irritation.

Sergei calmly walked out from behind a tree while looking slightly annoyed as he faced them.

"You lowlife!" Both Miyabi and Gospel cursed.

"Hmpf. I've got no time to play around today, either. In exchange… I'll treat you two to a useful pawn." He announced while looking rather annoyed.

He snapped his right hand's fingers: a "Nebula Dimensional Converter" emerged and warped Sgt. Sneaky out of the area along with Sergei.

"Gate Cannon!"

Both dodged the blast as "Zoan" Gate Man dropped in.

"Zoano Boomerang!"

Both ducked and barely dodged the boomerang which cut through some of the trees.

"KYA~H!"

Panic took a hold of the visitors and staff: they ran for their lives while both Miyabi and Gospel hissed curses under his breath.

"Guess you'll have to come out." Miyabi told Forte.

"Yeah. Guess so." Forte grumbled.

He ran away while Miyabi tried to lure them into a wider area.

"Hmpf. Foolish human." "Zoan" Quick Man mocked.

"My gate is the _Naraku_'s gate: you enter once. But you never come out. Heh, heh, heh…" "Zoan" Gate Man announced.

"Hmpf. They've decided to copy my mottos." Shadow Man scoffed.

"Yeah. Idiots." Miyabi grumbled.

He heard quick footsteps and spotted Netto and Meiru running towards them along with Rush.

"Miyabi! Sergei was here?" Netto guessed.

"Yeah. I'll explain later."

"Meijin – san! Deploy the "Dimensional Area"!" Netto called.

"_San wa iranai_! Dimensional Area: Activate!" Meijin confirmed.

"Please, Rush!" Meiru requested.

"Au~p…"

Rush transformed into the "Rush Synchro Chip" and Meiru picked it while Netto and Miyabi took out their "Synchro Chips".

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

The three of them performed "Cross Fusion" and faced their opponents, who looked surprised.

"Swallow Drive!"

"Dice Bomb!"

"Zoan" Swallow Man and "Zoan" Number Man also dropped in at the same time Forte joined the fray.

"Shit. What a club." Forte cursed.

"I'll pick Gate Man. Shadow Clone!" "CF" Miyabi told the others as he ran towards the guy.

"Guess I gotta deal with Quick Man again." "CF" Netto muttered.

"I'll pick the fake Number Man: this one is a fake like that petty-faced omen." "CF" Roll smugly announced.

"Whoa. It sounds scary, even." Forte admitted.

"Number Tenbou!"

"Zoano Boomerang!"

"Swallow Dive!"

"Batle Chip, Long Sword!"

"Battle Chip, Boomerang!"

"Hell's Buster!"

Forte shot at "Zoan" Swallow Man but he dodged and rammed into him, pushing back: Forte growled something and looked up.

"Swallow Cutter!"

"Grah! Darkness Overload!"

Forte shot the blast at "Zoan" Swallow Man and annihilated him while causing a large explosion.

"Ops. I forgot my sudden power recovery…" He muttered.

"Hmpf! Fake! You're fired!" "CF" Roll told him.

"Dice Bomb!"

The fake Number Man threw a dice and it landed in the number one: an explosion ensued but "CF" Roll was already on the air.

"Well! Let's go! Roll Arrow! But this one is death's arrow and not love's arrow… Ironic! Ain't it?" She told him.

"Number Ruler!"

"Program Advance! Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In! Giga Cannon! Vanish, you fake!" "CF" Roll announced.

The blast destroyed the Number Rule and hit the fake Number Man fully, thus blowing him up.

"Hmpf. That crappy Navi will taste this medicine as well." Roll smugly announced.

"Oi, oi! You two! You're starting to sound like when Roll was possessed by the "Demon Chip", ya know!" "CF" Netto sounded nervous.

"Hmpf!"

"Hmpf!"

"What mood…" "CF" Miyabi muttered.

"Yeah. Scary, even…" Forte muttered.

"Go! Gate Soldiers!"

The "Gate Soldiers" (some rather small miniature round Viruses with a shield and lance) came out of "Zoan" Gate Man's chest compartment in a rush and attacked "CF" Miyabi: he groaned and stepped back.

"Ma no Te!"

"Hmpf. Area Steal! Muramasa Blade!"

"No way!"

"CF" Miyabi warped and then plunged the Muramasa Blade through the open chest cavity, emerging from the front.

"Fall into the _Naraku_." "CF" Miyabi told him.

"Guo~h!"

"Hikari! Saito! Do you need hand over there?" Forte asked.

"Guess we can handle it… Take that!" He replied.

"CF" Netto cut off the enemy's right arm above the elbow and then plunged his blade into him.

"Guo~h! Foolish… mortals…!" He cursed.

Something unexpected happened: a small purple swirling vortex opened and a purplish mass jumped off it: the mass attached to enemy and began to flash while encompassing his whole body.

"Gruh! Grah! Uck… Huh…! Grack!"

"W-what?" The four of them gasped.

The mass suddenly entered through the broken arm and "Zoan" Quick Man roared in agony.

"UGRA~H!"

He suddenly looked up with blank and devoid eyes.

"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" A distorted voice rang out.

"Ivan!" "CF" Netto cursed.

"Wrong." The voice replied.

"… Are you… the owner of the "R – Program"?" Saito guessed.

"Yeah. Correct, Rock Man EXE." The voice replied.

"That distorter is rather pointless. You're a man." Forte told him while looking unimpressed.

"Hmpf. Forte… One of the "Ultimate Program" holders… But… Did you know? "Ultimate Programs" are derived from my "R – Program". Maybe I should name it a prototype "Ultimate Program", even?" The voice sounded slightly amused.

"… Whatever. What's with the data which you guys need to "load up" somewhere?" "CF" Netto questioned.

"Hmpf! It's not loading up "data". It's loading up "energy"!" The voice corrected.

"You're amassing energy? Then… That mysterious continual drain of energy in some Cyber World areas across the world must be part of that too… Yet… Any attempts to trace them end in vain: they seemed to transcend the normal time-space." Forte guessed.

"My. Detective Forte is at it." The voice sounded amused.

"Yeah. And I'm not gonna give it up." Forte shot back.

"Hmpf! Well. You must be aware of something: you will soon realize our nature. Heh, heh, heh." The voice announced.

The mass detached off "Zoan" Quick Man and he was deleted.

_Who was that guy…? He sounded in control of everything! _Netto gasped.

_I just felt a shiver go down my spine… _Saito admitted.

"Prototype "Ultimate Program"…" Forte muttered.

"I thought Grandpa was the one who came up with the very first: Pharaoh Man's one." Netto argued.

"I thought that myself." Forte admitted.

"Maybe the hint is in Grandpa's researches?"

"Could be. He did research a lot, including "Spectrum"…"

"Speaking of "Spectrum"…" Forte began.

"I know. Back then you pushed me out of the vortex's interference because you were thanking me for the "thrill ride" and you ended up half-thrilled and half-disappointed at seeing the results of trying to totally absorb my "Ultimate Program"… Which, in the end, favored me, and made me be the one in control." Saito calmly replied.

"Well… Yeah. True… Should've admitted it…"

"Don't mind it: I realized it a few days later, anyway."

"But that doesn't change that this guy has something to do with the starts of the "Ultimate Program" technology…" Miyabi warned.

"No. Maybe Wily knows something: heck, he created "Gospel" by using your missing "Ultimate Program" to begin with."

_What's going on now? First Sergei and Ivan, then sadists, and now a mysterious player… This is turning crazy!_


	9. Chapter 9: The legion attacks

**Chapter 9: The legion attacks**

17:51 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday September the 22nd…

"… Alright. We got a report of something going on over at this square, so… let's check it out, Rock Man."

"Roger, Netto – kun."

Rock Man dropped into a small square and looked around: there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary.

"… Nothing…" He muttered.

"Wrong." Someone corrected.

"Who…?" He demanded.

He looked up to see Stratega standing in a higher level and looking down on him (literally) while having a smug smile on her face.

"A girl…?" He wondered.

"I am Stratega. Rock Man! You are my target." She announced.

"Target… Damn. Another freelancer hired by Silver Arrow…" He cursed while making a grimace.

"Which means that red mantle ain't far from here." Netto grumbled.

"Tee, heh, heh! _Impetum! Legites!_"

A group of about thirty standard Navis dressed like Roman legionaries appeared: they carried the shields and spears as well.

"Whoa! It's like the Galleon Army Golden Star had!" He gasped.

"Che. Ivan wants to make us sweat." Netto grumbled.

"_Testudio formatio_!"

The soldiers took out their rectangular shields and they deployed them so that they'd cover all of the flanks and serve as cover against objects thrown from the top.

"Che." Rock Man grumbled.

They took out their lances in the spaces between the shields and they then marched forward.

"Coming, Netto – kun!" He warned.

"Leave it to me! Battle Chip, Custom Bolt! Slot In!"

"Eat this!"

Rock Man shot the Custom Bolt but it bounced off the shields and did no damage.

"What?" Netto gasped.

"Damn. They're not metallic." Rock Man cursed.

"Tee, heh, heh. I'm too clever for that. Go!" Stratega giggled before commanding the soldiers.

"Battle Chip, Aqua Tower, Flame Tower! Double Slot In!"

The two attacks blasted part of the soldiers, but they compacted into a smaller group and kept advancing at a quick pace.

"Che! Stubborn…" Netto grumbled.

"Let's try something else, Netto – kun!" Rock Man suggested.

"Huh… Gotcha! Battle Chip, Meteors! Slot In!"

The meteors feel from the sky: they impacted into the ground while forming craters and covering the area in a reddish smoke.

"Did that do it?" Netto wondered.

The smoke began to disperse and the legion was nowhere to be seen: only small data pieces had been left.

"Phew! We did it, Netto - UGAH!"

A lance had pierced through Rock Man's chest emblem from behind: he groaned and looked panicked at the wound.

"N-no way…!"

Stratega had shown up from behind and she was holding the lance while Rock Man looked afraid.

"Tee, heh, heh."

"… _Déjà vu_…" He groaned.

Stratega took the lance out and Rock Man collapsed into the ground while Stratega aimed her lance at his neck.

"Hmpf. K. I. A." She smugly announced.

"I won't let you! Hell's Rolling!"

The two purple wheels hit Stratega's back and she was sent flying. Forte was there and he looked pissed off: he ignored Stratega and crouched next to Rock Man.

"Fo - Forte…?" He weakly asked.

"Yeah. Hang in there. Hikari! Use this chance!"

"I owe you one, Forte! Plug Out!"

Forte then faced Stratega, who'd recovered from the earlier attack and looked pissed off.

"Hmpf. A foolish cloaked villain wannabe… Die!" She announced.

"Wrong. Darkness Overload!"

The blast hit her fully and caused an explosion: she collapsed into her knees while having large and grave wounds.

"W-what the…? What is… this power…?" She cursed.

"Confess. Where is the "Silver Arrow" hideout at?" He demanded.

"D-dunno…!" She hissed.

"Hmpf. You're _too_ speedy, Forte!" A voice with a hint of annoyance rang out close by.

"Shit." Forte growled.

Sergei dropped in from above and kept on having that seemingly annoyed face.

"Can't you see that I need time to warp from the hideout to here? Couldn't have you played around instead of trying to finish it in one blow? Hmmm? Couldn't you be a decent guy and wait?" He questioned with some annoyance.

"Quit that speech. You lowlife are next!" Forte hissed.

"Hmpf. If you wanna see the "light"… Then I'll bring a specialist on the matter." Sergei put up a smug smile.

"Damn." Forte hissed.

"Hah!"

He took out the sword and swung it to warp both him and Stratega out of the area: Flash Man logged in.

"Flash Man! Saiko Rei!" He cursed.

"Correct. Flash Man! Show this idiot your terrific ability." Saiko commanded with a smug smile.

"Hypnosis Flash!"

Forte quickly closed his eyes and blocked them with his left arm while he drew the Hell's Buster with his right arm.

"Hell's Buster!"

The rounds hit Flash Man, but they bounced off with a slight metallic sound like metal hitting metal.

"Damn. Body armor!" He cursed.

"Shining Grand Crusher!"

Flash Man built up several streams of energy before shooting them at Forte, who dodged at the last second.

"Che! Air Burst!"

The Air Burst didn't fare much better.

"Neon Light!"

Flash Man shot out his standard attack while Forte jumped into the air and tried to think of something else.

"… Earth Breaker!"

Flash Man brought up his right forearm with its dagger, but the blast actually took the whole of it out: Flash Man recoiled and hissed something under his breath.

"Gruh… Uck… Huh…!"

"Damn!" Saiko cursed.

"Dark Arm Blade!"

Forte locked the Dark Arm Blade with Flash Man's left forearm and managed to cut it out as well: Flash Man looked panicked by now as evidenced by his face.

"Damn! Plug Out! I'll remember this!" Saiko hissed.

Flash Man escaped while Forte let out a growl of anger.

"Shit. Bothersome woman. She wanted to recreate how Slur finished Umbra off… I'll make them pay for that." He grumbled.

He punched the ground as if to discharge his anger and cursed under his breath for some minutes.

"Better go see Saito…" He muttered.

He exited the area and failed to spot a normal Navi surrounded by the black substance.

"Heh, heh, heh… Attacking from behind? It'd seem Silver Arrow's freelancers are not kept under strict enough surveillance. Whatever… We shall make our appearance soon enough…"

18:08 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I see. So. Silver Arrow bases its strategies off hiring freelancers and then sending off rebuilt Navis or "original ideas" to stall for time while they clean up all traces of their involvement."

"Yes, sir. We have also detected Sunayama Noboru and Saiko Rei being involved as well."

Enzan was reporting to Commissioner Kifune.

"How is Rock Man like?" Kifune asked.

"I called the Science Labs. He is being healed as we speak. They should finish soon." Enzan replied

"Yet… It'd seem that Silver Arrow finished off the "deal" they arranged with the owner of the "R – Program" and those "Guardians". We have confirmed him being a man and being behind the recent energy thefts cases." Blues added.

"Hmmm… And not even Forte could trace them… It would seem we will have to take them seriously and try to use our resources to track them. I have a bad feeling about it." Kifune announced.

"Yes, sir. Can I leave, sir?"

"Go."

Enzan walked out of the office and made a grimace once he was in the corridor.

"… I can't sit idle anymore. We must do something."

"Yet, Enzan – sama… What exactly should we do?"

"… Good point. I don't know." Enzan sighed in defeat.

"… Hum… Maybe we should try to locate the former "Neo WWW" members? They might have made a slip." Blues suggested.

"… We can do that for the time being. But we'll have to be ready for any attempts on us. Damn these guys!"

18:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oi! Nenjiro! Whaddya think about this scandal?"

"Che! Jeez! It's not a "scandal": it's the work of those guys named Silver Arrow! Remember how that Roast Man idiot showed up last time around 'cause he pretends to be the supreme Flame – Attribute Net Navi!"

Napalm Man and Rokushadama were discussing about the latest news: Rokushadama was scratching the back of his head while Napalm Man was as annoyed as ever.

"Uh… Yeah, yeah… So… What do we do, Nenjiro? Should we join the fray, too?"

"Obviously! I'll prove that I'm the hottest Flame – Attribute Net Navi 'round the area!" Napalm Man replied.

"My. It'd seem you're itching for a heated up battle. Maybe I can provide it…" An amused voice rang out.

"Who the heck!" Napalm Man cursed.

He turned around to spot Sergei standing there and looking amused while humming a tune.

"Ya jerk! Fight me if ya have the guts!" Napalm Man challenged.

"Nope. My true strength is being saved up for Cousin Saito. I'll treat you to a hot opponent Special Summoned into the Field." Sergei replied with obvious amusement.

He snapped his right hand's fingers and Burner Man logged into the system.

"Che! Competency!" Napalm Man grumbled.

"This guy's name is Burner Man! Slowly… And carefully… Receive this one's passionate flames. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!" Sergei announced.

"Burning Jet!"

"Vulcan Arm!"

Both Navis began a fight while Sergei slipped out of the laptop: Napalm Man cursed under his breath.

"Nenji~! Do somethin'!" He called out.

"Huh! Battle Chip, Magma Seed! Slot In!"

Napalm Man threw the Magma Seed at Burner Man and he sunk into it while looking baffled.

"Grah! No – one stops me!"

"Program Advance, Nenjiro!"

"Che! Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

The blast hit Burner Man fully and he roared in agony as he was destroyed by the Program Advance.

"Che! That was nothin'!" Napalm Man exclaimed.

"Hah! That guy was cheap 'cause it was to buy time 'till the great me got 'ere!" A familiar voice announced.

"Shit." Napalm Man cursed.

Roast Man dropped in while shining with a familiar purple aura and looking evil.

"A "Dark Chip"!" Napalm Man cursed.

"What? That's bad?"

"Yeah! They turn berserk!" Napalm Man summarized.

"Nope! _Danna_ gave us this new model which only powers ya up!" Smokin' announced.

"This looks bad, Nenjiro!"

"Che! Ain't that obvious?" Napalm Man growled.

"Hah, hah, hah! I'm so gonna win today!" Roast Man laughed.

"Oh?"

Someone made a cut on his back and he was kicked into the ground all of a sudden.

"Groah!"

"Damn." Smokin' grumbled.

Blues was there and looked annoyed.

"I found you: you lowlife! You lowlife will pay for insulting my master and setting fire to the IPC head office." Blues told him.

"Hmpf… I knew it was a good idea to bring this along… Vaccine Chip, Slot In! Ready to fire!" Enzan muttered before announcing his move.

"…"Vaccine Chip"…? Bwah, hah, hah, hah! Navis don't get a cold!"

"Hmpf. Fire!" Enzan put up a smug smile.

Blues shot it and hit Roast Man's chest emblem: white light emerged from it and a soothing blue aura traveled across his body.

"MUGRUO~RGH!"

"W-what the…!" Smokin' cursed.

"Hmpf. The "Vaccine Chip" cancels the effects of any "Dark Chip"! _Game Over, Lucy_." Enzan grinned.

"Why this smug-faced flame wannabe…!"

"Give it up!" Napalm Man told him.

"Shit… I feel heavy!" Roast Man cursed.

"Grah! One day I'll roast you people in a gigantic BBQ banquet!"

"Y-yeah…! We'll become… the world's greatest BBQ cooks…! Just ya wait…! It's only… a matter of time!" Roast Man added.

"Laugh while you can, you bastards." Blues grumbled.

18:22 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So… It would seem your freelancers are being given too much freedom of action…"

"Ah!"

"Sir!"

Ivan and Sergei had been working on something when the manly voice came out of Ivan's Link PET: they both gasped and looked nervous upon hearing it.

"It's not like I'm going to punish you two, but… I'm not fond of such petty tricks. Ironic! I used it once. But I guess it was a special occasion." The voice sounded slightly amused.

"Is t-that so?" Ivan nervously asked.

"B-but… We have already scolded them for such behavior… So… They won't use it again…" Sergei nervously added.

"Hmpf. My mere presence intimidates you two?" The voice questioned in an amused tone of voice.

"W-well… Sir seems to… know everything…" Ivan slowly replied.

"It's c-clear enough that Sir is… overwhelmingly powerful…" Sergei added while gulping.

"Heh, heh, heh. So! You recognize my power. I like that. Well then… Enjoy your little games." The voice told them.

"Scary~!" Ivan exclaimed.

"Yeah. Not even our high security can keep him at bay."

"Guess we'll have to be careful… He must be the prideful type."

"Yeah. I don't want to earn his distaste for us." Sergei sighed.

"No – one would!"

They both felt a shiver go down their spines…


	10. Chapter 10: The final recruits

**Chapter 10: The final recruits**

18:49 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday September the 22nd…

"… Hum! So this is the place, eh?"

A girl on her mid-twenties walked inside of the room and looked around with a slightly amused face.

She had messy black hair while her eyes' irises were blue.

She wore heeled black shoes, navy blue jeans and a red shirt.

"Welcome, Atamane Tomoko – san." Janus greeted.

"So… Cha have work for me. Cha better hope it's worth my precious time..." She dully told him.

"It is worth it: I'll present you with a target." Janus replied.

"I like that better. Agatha. Come out." Atamane commanded.

Agatha had spiky blond hair and reddish eye irises which looked threatening for some reason or another.

Her body was colored navy blue with some reddish patterns: she wore black boots.

Her emblem was the Cyrillic symbol for "A" colored gold.

"Tomoko – sama. Who is the target this time around?"

"A certain bothersome woman… With an ugly manly Navi…" Janus sounded amused.

"Hmpf. It looks like it'll be worth it. Where's that woman at?"

Janus typed into the keyboard and looked at something being displayed on the screen: he pressed the "RETURN" key and her Link PET beeped.

"Tomoko – sama. A mail has arrived. It has an address."

"Heh. A rebellious woman… It may be worth my time. See cha around, Janus – sama… Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

19:02 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I guessed as much. Okay. Plug In! Needle Man, Transmission!"

Yuriko had entered a room somewhere and found signs of a meeting having been held there given the empty beer cans and the ashtray with cigarette butts there: she spotted a laptop and aimed her Link PET at its IR port.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah!"

Needle Man entered the laptop and brought up several screens while searching for something.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Yuriko! That pink Navi named Roll is on this list 'long with Rock Man!" He reported.

"Che. Bothersome grunts." She grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… Found ya!" A voice rang out.

"Huh? Someone's 'ere!" Needle Man exclaimed.

Agatha came up from a lower level in the laptop while looking amused and up to something.

"You're Oozono Yuriko's Net Navi, Needle Man, right?" She asked.

"Yeah! Who are ya?" Needle Man shot back.

"My name is Agatha. You're to be disposed of." Agatha announced.

"Yeah. And then I'll have my reward." Atamane added.

"A mercenary?" Yuriko questioned.

"Hmpf. Not exactly. I seek the same category." She smugly replied.

"… Ah. So that's what it means."

"Yeah. I'll have a thrill."

"Hmpf. Brag while you can." She scoffed.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Let's go~!"

"Battle Chip, Long Sword! Slot In!"

She moved forward and tried to slash, but Needle Man was quicker because he was already jumping into the air.

"Needle Cannon!"

He shot a volley of needles towards Agatha: she tried to deflect some with her Long Sword, but failed.

"Then… Battle Chip, Hi Cannon!"

Agatha's right arm morphed into the blue cannon, and she shot several shots towards Needle Man, who dodged them.

"Needle Buster!"

"Battle Chip, Barrier! Slot In!"

The barrier blocked the volley.

"Needle Man! Time for the trump card! Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Hi – Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

However, a _chibi_ doll showed up on Agatha's place and Needle Man had to dodge three _shuriken_ which rained down where he'd been standing at a second ago.

"Che. _Kawarimi_!" Yuriko cursed.

"Hmmm… Good looks. But maybe you need to be taught some discipline, after all." Atamane muttered.

"Did no-one ever tell you that act like a leech?" Yuriko told her with a hint of sarcasm.

"Che." She grumbled.

"Hmpf."

"Che. Stubborn man." Agatha grumbled.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! I was a member of "Nebula"! I'm no grunt! Learn your place, cha!"

"Damn."

"Hmpf! Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Dream Sword!"

Agatha flung the blade at Needle Man, who only had to roll across the ground to the left to dodge.

"Needle Attack! Messy Shooting!"

He began to attack Agatha with his needles and she had to shield herself while stepping back.

"So?" Yuriko challenged.

"Bothersome woman." Atamane cursed.

"Needle Cannon!"

"Battle Chip…!"

"Slow!"

The projectiles shot by Needle Man impacted on Agatha and left some noticeable wounds on her body: she hissed and stepped back.

"How about giving it up?" Yuriko challenged.

"Heh, heh, heh! Shah, shah, shah, shah! Show yer ugly hide, you Demon wannabe!"

"Heh, heh, heh… Hiya, Needle Man… You keep on being the same usual Yakuza wannabe…" Sergei's amused voice boomed out of nowhere.

"Heh! I'm too cool!" Needle Man grinned.

"Oi! What does this mean?" Atamane questioned.

A beam of golden light fell down from above while causing some of those hollow diamonds to show up for an instant: Sergei appeared on the area and calmly folded his arms.

"It means that your role is over. This battle data you have collected will be useful. The payment is already in your account." Sergei calmly announced while looking amused.

"Che! I wanted to teach some discipline to this woman!" Atamane grumbled.

"That was mere incentive so that you'd go for a serious approach. Hadn't _lil bro_ brought it up, you'd been beaten in one hit: that'd be boring! I am sure _that person_ prefers seeing some intense yet short battles." Sergei shrugged.

"_That person…_? Ah! You mean the "R – Program" owner… And the culprit behind the energy thefts…" Yuriko muttered.

"So, Yuriko… It'd seem you finally settled what you had pending." Sergei teased.

"You leech…!" Yuriko cursed.

"That'd be us." A voice corrected.

They gasped and looked at another of those "possessed" Navis: its eyes were blank and the voice which came out of his mouth was distorted: it looked somewhat grotesque.

"So? Do you have a name?" Yuriko questioned.

"… Call me "S" for the time being."

"S. Catchy." Yuriko muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oi. It's just my initial." The man sounded slightly annoyed.

"Ah. I thought it was a nickname."

"Guess it can't be helped."

"Ah… Sir… What a… honorable surprise…" Sergei nervously greeted while his teeth danced.

"What! Even that jerk is afraid of that unseen man? Shah, shah, shah, shah!" Needle Man sounded surprised.

"You guys don't realize the scope of His power and knowledge!" Sergei hissed with obvious nervousness on his voice.

"Heh, heh, heh… I can see it coming… A glorious day… We shall treat you to a sneak peek of our might!" S announced.

"I dunno who cha are or what cha want. But I'm not here to be pawn of anyone." Agatha told him.

"Che. It's not a "pawn": you're a freelancer." Sergei corrected.

"Don't mind it, Sergei. Unlike you two, freelancers can't realize the mightiness of my person."

"Ah… As you wish." Sergei bowed.

"Huff. Do I have to go over that again? We had a deal. Both fulfilled our parts. I'm just killing my boredom. You don't have to obey me." The man sounded exasperated.

"Eh… But… It would be rude to…"

"… Huff. Okay, okay… Manners go first. I've got mine totally rusted. No wonder. Being at it for ten years has obviously had its toll on me." S replied with a hint of resignation.

"…"Being at it for ten years"… What do you mean?" Yuriko questioned while frowning under the sunglasses.

"Heh. I don't like spoilers. Anyway… I'll leave Sergei to wrap this up. And by the way… That tip-off was baiting by him to draw you two here. Bye – bye. Let's meet again!" S added with some amusement.

The Navi's body frizzled and the black mass detached off him, jumping into the vortex and vanishing: the Navi collapsed into the ground and lied there without moving.

"… That looks bad. Let's pull out, Agatha! I guess I'll have to chase someone else." Atamane grumbled.

"Che." Yuriko grumbled.

"Yeah. You better leave. I'll cover your trails."

"Have at cha, mean man!" Agatha put up a smug smile.

"Shah, shah, shah! Fight!" Needle Man challenged.

"Hmpf. I only will fight against Cousin Saito."

"So? Demon Tribe Chief – sama has a new ace up his sleeves this time around?" Yuriko sarcastically questioned.

"Yeah. An old face, too… Come out."

"Wind Cutter!"

Needle Man dodged as Video Man dropped into the area from a higher level.

"Video Man!" Yuriko cursed.

"Ho, ho, ho! I'm back!" Narcy Hide announced.

"Yamashita Hidenosuke!" Yuriko cursed.

"_Narcy Hide_!" He yelled.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! _Video Man: I'll be back_! _Let's go_! _Three_! _Two_! _One_! _Action_!" Video Man announced.

"Play with them. _Bye – bye_."

Sergei snapped his right hand's fingers and warped out of the laptop while Video Man began to record given how the "REC" symbol showed up on his chest.

"Needle Cannon!"

"Tapeline!"

The tapelines blocked off the projectiles.

"Needle Attack! Messy Shooting"

Needle Man tried to hit him with his body's needles, but Video Man saw it coming.

"Fast Escape!"

He warped twice and then stood up on the higher level to look down (literally) on Needle Man.

"I'll grant you a nightmare." He announced.

"Damn." Yuriko cursed.

"Ho, ho, ho! Go for it, Video Man!" Narcy told him.

"Playback! Playback! Playback! Playback!"

Several copies of Needle Man popped out and quickly surrounded him while Video Man laughed.

"Wait a min. Why did you work for "Golden Star" and now you work for Narcy again? They let you leave them?" Yuriko questioned.

"What? "Golden Star"? I dunno who they are."

"Silly! Video Man's been along me ever since May!" Narcy giggled.

"So there was _another_ Video Man. Maybe it was a rebuilt "Beyondard" Video Man." Yuriko guessed.

"What!" Narcy gasped.

"No way!" Video Man uttered.

"Way. Ice Tower!"

An ice pillar came out from the ground and snapped Video Man's tape in two: both he and Narcy gasped in horror.

"Gra~h! My tape…! My precious tape…! Who did this? Who's the rascal who did this? Show yourself!" Video Man gasped.

"That'd be me."

Freeze Man became visible and hovered above the main square zone of the laptop's Cyber World where Needle Man was at: his diamond was hovering behind him too.

"Icicle Fall!"

The icicle rain deleted several copies.

"Thanks, Freeze Man! Okay! Program Advance!"

"Shah, shah, shah! Program Advance!"

"Count Bomb, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Count Bomb!"

Needle Man deposited the bomb on the ground and jumped into the air: it soon detonated and took out the whole of the copies.

"Gra~h! Nya~h!" Narcy uttered in frustration.

"Che! Eject!"

Video Man escaped while Needle Man met with Freeze Man on the higher level.

"Shah, shah, shah! Hey! _Danna_! Good_ timing_!" He told him.

"Shuryou suspected a trap. I came as fast as possible using this laptop's Wi-Fi connection."

"I guess we're going to meet up with Inukai Takeo and Beast Man one of these days, too. Anyway… It'd seem the whole "meeting" thing was faked beforehand. The beer cans are dry and the cigarette butts don't seem to have been smoked." Yuriko commented.

"Maybe the reason they hired Narcy Hide was to set up scenery which looked realistic to a first glance… But that doesn't matter." Freeze Man suggested.

"Yeah. It could be. Anyway… There's nothing else to do here, so… Let's head back, Needle Man. Maybe Father might be able to provide some info, even."

19:19 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Welcome to Silver Arrow. Odoroida Karina – san."

Janus greeted another girl on her late teens.

She had long brown hair which spanned until the the knees and her eyes' irises were brown.

She wore white sneakers, brown pants and a red top.

"So! I get a job to do, then. I'm skilled at stuff such as stalking and intruding houses." Odoroida announced.

"Good. You will be stalker."

"Tee, heh, heh. Cecile!"

Cecile was of standard height, and had blond curly hair coming from behind her helmet: her eyes' irises were purple in coloring.

Her emblem was a stylized red "C" set against an azure background while her color palette was a mix of lime green, dirt brown and black.

"What's up, Karina – chan?"

"We're gonna stalk." Odoroida told her.

"Perfect. I needed some thrill." Cecile grinned.

"I already sent you a mail with the instructions. _Good luck_…"

"… So! Operation: Hiring is over."

"Yeah. They'll always come back for some more money. It's the perfect bait." Ivan grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh… And S – sama will soon take care of them while we work on our project." Sergei chuckled.

"Cousin Saito will soon have a chance to have a face-off, too!" Ivan added.

"Yeah. I'll be serious." Sergei made a sinister smile.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"


	11. Chapter 11: The fighting spirit

**Chapter 11: The fighting spirit**

16:26 PM (Japan Time), Thursday September the 23rd…

"… Heart Slash!"

"Sun Disc!"

The two attacks clashed against each other, causing an explosion.

"Rock Man is my friend; you have no right to claim him! You boyfriend thief!" Roll yelled.

"Oh! But I adore him! He must be mine!" Riva replied.

"Battle Chip, Aqua Tower! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Cannon! Slot In!"

The two attacks clashed and canceled each other again.

"Why, you…! I've exposed you: a serial boyfriend thief!" Meiru told Levé.

"Hah! Who's gonna believe you? Those foolish men who are engrossed by my beauty, you mean to say?" Levé taunted.

"Che!"

"Hah!"

"Meiru – chan! Let's go for the big guns! We'll settle it in one blow! They won't see it coming!" Roll called out.

"Yeah! Get ready!" Meiru put up a smug smile.

"Big guns…? What… Cha are gonna brink a tank?"

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Cannon, Hi Cannon, Mega Cannon! Slot In!"

"Zeta Cannon!"

"What!" Riva gasped.

The multiple blasts hit her fully and she screamed as her emergency "Log-Out" was triggered.

"Hah! I win." Meiru exclaimed.

"Hah! I win!" Roll added.

"WHY, YOU…!" Both exclaimed.

"Ahem, ahem."

They both stopped and turned to see a teacher standing in the classroom's entrance: he didn't look in a good mood.

"Classes finished 15 minutes ago. You should leave." The teacher pointed out.

"Eh… Roger, _sensei_!"

They both ran out of the building while the teacher sighed and rolled his eyes.

"These girls…"

Both girls went separate ways after directing murderous glares at each other.

"Che! Pesky girl. I'm so gonna bring out some rope and strangle her to death!" She cursed.

"I'm so gonna plunge a sword into that old-fashioned pink Navi and delete her!" Riva cursed.

The Link PET rang and she picked it up without bothering to look at the screen.

"… I'LL FUCKING KILL YA!" She roared.

"… Is that so?" An icy voice asked.

"… Huh…? Eh…? A~h! Janus – sama…! A thousand apologies! I thought it was Sakurai!" She apologized.

"Sakurai…? You two have quarreled or what?" Janus sounded surprised.

"She saw through my disguise!" She cursed.

"Something tells me she must think you're a serial "boyfriend thief" or something like that…" Janus sounded liked he'd been expecting that.

"Yeah! Please! Allow me to fucking kill that foolish one!" She requested of him.

"No. And that's definitive. Your role doesn't involve killing." Janus firmly replied.

"Che."

"Wanna quit? Go ahead." Janus challenged.

"N-no! Who'd quit when you've come so far? I shall soon have pulled him into the reach of that agent you spoke of…"

"Agent…? Oh. You mean that sadist: Salome's Operator." Janus seemed to have just recalled it.

"Anyway… Things may heat up on this front." She warned.

"I prefer heating up to cooling down." Janus shrugged.

"Roger."

"Goodbye."

Levé sighed in defeat and placed the Link PET back on its place while grumbling.

"Che. Riva! We need intensive training this afternoon. I'm so gonna master a Program Advance!" Patricia told her.

"Yeah! Then we'll be able to stand on the same ground! Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh! The Reverse Cyber World is waiting for cha!" Riva giggled and looked evil.

"Okay! Operation: Payback… Start! Target: the Game Center in front of the train station… Soul Game!" Patricia announced.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh!" Riva giggled.

07:55 AM (Japan Time), Friday September the 24th…

"… Morning, Meiru – chan."

"Good morning!"

Meiru folded her arms and looked ill-humored as she sat down on her desk chair.

"Uh… Did something happen?" He asked.

"Yeah! That serial boyfriend thief tried to challenge me!" Meiru snapped at him.

"Serial boyfriend thief…?" Netto looked baffled.

"What… Don't you get it? She wanted to steal you!" Meiru sounded annoyed.

"Steal me…? Oi, oi… Eh… Have you checked that she didn't have any weird manias?" Netto asked in a hushed tone.

"If you mean to say if she's a sadist, then she ain't: she's just a spy wannabe who believes her own hide to be beautiful when coated with makeup. She's not even a middle school student! She surely already ended it and is showing up here with a fake ID to try to steal you off with some witchery or another!" Meiru told him in a rush.

"O-okay… As long as it ain't a sadist, I can live with it…" Netto quickly replied.

"I won't argue that you had that incident back in May. But I won't let that leech get close to you! She's the personification of the Yggdrasil Orbital Elevator's men's toilet curse!" She announced.

"Not again with the Yggdrasil Orbital Elevator… Look! The one to blame is the genius who though electronically-activated doors would look "futuristic" but didn't account for a power failure! Are you heating up like a volcano or what? Be serious, Meiru – chan!" Netto argued.

"A VOLCANO, YOU SAY! HIKARI NETTO! YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR BY INSULTING MY DIGNITY AND…!"

RRRRIIINNNGGGG!

The school's bell rang at that moment: Meiru scoffed and shat on her chair again.

"CHE!"

Levé entered and sat down behind her desk: Netto gulped and looked nervous.

_Riva – chan and Roll – chan are quarreling over here as well. _Saito sounded exasperated.

_Great… _Netto rolled his eyes.

"… Stop right there!"

Search Man pointed his scope gun at Armored Man.

"What do you want? I'm working." He replied without bothering to turn around.

Armored Man was dismantling a firewall: he was taking out each piece and storing it within a data cube he carried.

"That firewall is from a Sharo Nation Net Police system. You have no permission to dismantle it." Search Man stated.

"I care not to whom it belongs. If I'm paid to build a firewall, I do so. If I'm paid to dismantle a firewall, I do so. I'm a firewall specialist." Armored Man shrugged.

"I'll delete you, then." Search Man threatened.

"Wrong. I'll be the one to delete you. Beam Rain!"

A bunch of steel beam fell from the sky and Search Man rolled across the ground while dodging all of them.

"Scope Gun!"

He shot several shots at his enemy, but they didn't even leave a dent and they merely bounced off.

"I'm called Armored Man for something, fool."

"Stop calling me fool. You're the fool for trying to stand up to the Net Police." Search Man countered.

"Bah." Armored Man scoffed.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Vulcan, Triple Slot In!"

"Mugen Vulcan!"

"What the…!"

The shots left various dents on Armored Arm's body and he made a grimace.

"Careful, Search Man. Sergei is about to show his hide around this area. Coming." Laika warned.

"Roger."

"… Heh… Heh…! Until I complete the building…! Until I bring about the New Age…! Don't let that green guy get close!" A voice rang out.

Sergei appeared next to Armored Man with a smug smile on his face and chuckling under his breath.

"You herd of grunts! Don't mind it if not a single bit or byte of you grunts remains! Just stall for time to go with! Get it!" Sergei called out.

"Hyu~h! Roger, _Boss_!" A familiar voice announced.

"Damn. I know who that guy is." Search Man cursed.

Cold Man dropped in from above while chuckling.

"… Hyu~h! I'm so gonna turn ya into _ice candy_ this time around, Search Man! And Rock Man will be next!" He announced.

"Hold nothing back." Sergei commanded.

He snapped his fingers and vanished along with Armored Man.

"Hyu~h! I'll show ya my new terrific Special Ability! Ice Clone!" Cold Man announced.

"What!" Search Man gasped.

Several Ice Cubes materialized and formed a circle: they then became Cold Man copies and they jumped around to exchange places and make it harder to spot the original.

"WHITE BREATH!"

Search Man gasped and barely jumped out of the way as the attacks turned the floor into ice and formed an ice column: Search Man tried to scan them.

"Damn. Their data signatures are identical. I can't pick the correct one like this!" He cursed.

"… We'll have to take them out in one hit, then… Battle Chip, Magma Seed! Slot In!"Laika muttered before announcing his move.

Search Man threw the Magma Seed at the center of the circle and the area became a magma pool: the Cold Man copies were all deleted but no one remained.

"What?" Search Man gasped.

"Ice Cube!"

The Ice Cube hit him from behind and he was kicked into the right in a hard manner: he grumbled and managed to stand up.

"Hyu~h! How was that?" He laughed.

"Damn. They've made this guy the diehard type too!" Laika grumbled.

"Thunderbolt!"

"What!"

"The arrival of reinforcements!"

A thunderbolt rained down and electrocuted Cold Man, who uttered something and then smoked as Thunder Man dropped into the area from a higher level.

"Thunder Man!" Search Man exclaimed.

"I come to say "hi" and I find a mess again… Bothersome Sergei." Thunder Man grumbled.

"Yeah. He makes sure to bring unnecessary trouble everywhere." Raoul grumbled.

"Heh. I owe you one, Raoul."

"Don't mind it, Laika. I want to show these guys that I won't allow them to do their liking." Raoul smiled.

"Hyu~h! You're that guy who was along with Search Man back when the four-in-two battle! You deleted Bright Man!" Cold Man told him.

"Oh… Then this guy has his "Darkloid" memories." Raoul grinned.

"Hyu~h! Iceberg Press!"

Cold Man compacted and jumped into the air to dive towards Thunder Man.

"Elec Grip, Probe!" Raoul announced.

"Elec Beam!"

The powered-up attack impacted Cold Man and electrocuted him: he fell into the ground and reverted out of his transformation.

"Hyu~h! What the heck was that?" Cold Man demanded.

"Ask Star Man." Raoul shot back.

"Star Man! The guy began to throw meteors around me! I'm so gonna turn him into _ice candy_, too!" Cold Man grumbled.

"Thunderbolt!"

The attack hit Cold Man again and was deleted: both Navis sighed in relief.

"Phew! We solved this mess." Laika sighed in relief.

"Heh! I like provoking 'em." Raoul grinned.

"Good job, Thunder Man." Search Man told him.

"Yeah! The Elec Grip Blues gave us is very effective."

"Anyway… We've managed to round up the whole of the thugs on Heaven's Town and they're gonna be judged soon."

"Good. Miyabi told me he's been working on it, too."

"Okay! I see you're as energetic as always. I'll be going back." Raoul told him with a smile.

"It was nice to drop by."

"Oho! Before that…" Raoul grinned.

"What?"

Raoul put on the _samurai head_ and brought the right hand to his chin while grinning.

"Doesn't this fit me perfectly? Hah, hah, hah, hah!" Raoul asked before he began to laugh.

"Enzan and Netto gave that to him." Thunder Man told Search Man with a hint of defeatism.

"And he got obsessed with it." Search Man guessed with a smile.

"Huh… You really look like a _samurai_…" Laika ventured.

"Heh, heh, heh! Okay. See ya around. Thunder Man!"

"Yeah! Bye."

"Take care, Raoul."

"See you again, Thunder Man."

Both Navis parted ways but failed to spot another "possessed" Navi who had seemingly witnessed what had happened.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

The black mass detached and escaped while the Navi collapsed into the ground.

"… Hum… Is it me or does my Meiru – chan look angry, Yaito – chan? Have I done something bad?"

"You moron."

"What!"

Dekao was talking with Yaito after the break and she looked rather annoyed by Dekao's question.

"Che! To begin with: Meiru – chan ain't "yours". Second: you're not to blame. Third: the one to blame is P. Gotcha?" Yaito listed.

"P…? Patricia – chan?" Dekao asked.

"Chut! It's a taboo!" Yaito scolded.

"Why? Is Meiru – chan jealous?" Dekao asked.

"Yeah. That gal's a serial boyfriend thief!" Yaito told him in a hushed tone.

"Uh-oh… Meiru – chan looks like she could destroy something today, even…" Hikawa grimly muttered.

"… Netto! Stay away from that leech! That's an order!"

"Oi, oi… People aren't leeches!" Netto argued.

"_Baka~_! It's a way of speaking!" Meiru snapped at him.

"Man." Netto grumbled.

He stood up and headed off the classroom while Meiru looked about to explode, making the other three students recoil and look panicked.

"… I gotta buy a manual to exorcise omens away. I'll use that and the omen will vanish. Piece of a cake, even! Tee, heh, heh, heh!"

"Yeah! Time to do that! Go away, omens! Roll tells you that!"


	12. Chapter 12: Cousins' Battle

**Chapter 12: Cousins' Battle**

12:12 PM (Japan Time), Friday September the 24th…

"… Stop right there!"

"Catch me firstly!"

Yuriko ran down a street while chasing Odoroida.

"Shah, shah, shah! That gal was stalking Detective Misaki: it's obvious she works for Silver Arrow!" Needle Man exclaimed.

"Yeah. But no grunt will outrun me."

"… Shit. That woman found me out." Odoroida cursed.

"What do we do, Karina – chan?" Cecline asked.

"Uh! That warehouse will do fine."

She spotted a warehouse's read door and she ran inside while shutting it from the inside: Yuriko tried to ram into it, but it didn't budge.

"Shit! She must've blocked it from the inside. However! All warehouses always have another exit." She hissed.

She ran and turned the corner just as Odoroida ran out of the building, cursing and running.

"Wait!"

They kept chasing each other for another five minutes, and Karina suddenly found herself in a _cul – de – sac_ ally and trapped.

"No more running away!" Yuriko declared.

"… You see… I can't let my strongest emotion get the best of me and make me waste my time… I'm not in the mood to play with you anymore…" A resigned voice rang out.

Yuriko and Odoroida gasped: they looked to the right and spotted Sergei standing in the rooftop of the right building while looking somewhat bored and unimpressed.

"Sergei." Yuriko cursed.

"Hmpf. Special Summon!" He announced with a smug smile.

"Damn." Yuriko cursed.

Some data materialized and gave way to "Zoan" Yamato Man: he'd already assumed his "Bestialize" form and looked ferocious and deadly.

"Hmpf! Eject!"

He snapped his right hand's fingers and vanished out of the street along with Odoroida.

"Thousand Spear!"

Yuriko gasped and barely dodged while she took out her Link PET and pressed a button.

"Science Labs! I need a "Dimensional Area"!"

"Roger! Dimensional Area: Activate!"

The "Dimensional Area" formed and Yuriko quickly climbed up into the roof using a garbage bin.

"Hah!"

She took out her "Synchro Chip" provided by Wily.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

She finished the transformation and drew her cannons.

"Needle Cannon!"

"Zoan" Yamato Man merely swung his spear to form a circle and bounce off all rounds before he jumped into the air and dived towards "CF" Yuriko: he hit her with the spear, but a cloud of smoke ensued and a _Kawarimi_ was left on his place.

"Clear Needle!"

"Huh?"

She delivered some quick cuts to his back and he recoiled as three _shuriken_ hit his back.

"Tornado Arm!"

The attack sent the enemy flying and "CF" Yuriko spotted "CF" Airstar there: he was smiling.

"Yo! _Miss_ Yuriko! Been a while!" He greeted.

"_Mister_ Pilot bothered to drop by, eh?" "CF" Yuriko sounded amused.

"Yeah! I was flying nearby and saw that chase."

"You better not talk of this, Charlie…" Gyro Man warned.

"Don't worry: Tesla is busy planning the Jawaii vacation!" "CF" Airstar replied with a smile.

"Shah, shah, shah! Let's go for it!" Needle Man suggested.

"CF" Airstar took out his rotor and hit "Zoan" Yamato Man with it while "CF" Yuriko aimed for his back.

"Program Advance! Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In! Giga Cannon!"

The Program Advance caught "Zoan" Yamato Man off – guard and annihilated him while "CF" Airstar flew into the air.

"_Nice_!"

"Heh."

Both canceled their "Cross Fusions" as the "Dimensional Area" faded away and picked up their Link PETs.

"… Humans who hold my "Duo's Crest"!" A voice boomed out of nowhere.

"No way!" Airstar gasped.

"Impossible!" Yuriko gasped.

They looked nearby and saw a frizzling speaker: it was obvious that something was going on inside of its Cyber World.

"Che. I suspect "S" being behind this." Yuriko cursed.

"Oh. Netto told me about the guy… The energy theft culprit…" Airstar admitted.

"Let's go!" Yuriko told him.

"Plug In!"

"Gyro Man!"

"Needle Man!"

"TRANSMISSION!"

Both Navis entered the speaker's Cyber World and spotted a possessed Navi manipulating the controls.

"When you humans' "Crests" become one… With that power… Will you humans be able to overcome my trial? Earthlings! The day of judgment is close by!" The Navi announced while copying Duo's voice.

"Quit the act." Gyro Man told him.

"Shah, shah, shah! Do ya think we're silly?" Needle Man challenged.

"Heh, heh, heh… No. But I liked that face of angst and terror. It was worth it." The guy named "S" replied through the Navi as it turned around with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Fight!" Both challenged.

"Nope. This Navi is not a combat model. But remember something: I have the "R – Program". Not even Rock Man will be able to overwhelm me with his 75% max output copy." S replied in calm manner.

"Che." Both grumbled.

"Anyway… I predict that we will meet in less than three weeks' time. Will you be able to endure my teasing?"

"Yeah. And now go to Alaska."

"Heh, heh, heh… _Bye-bye_!"

16:57 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Spiky Boomerang!"

"Yikes!"

Rock Man dodged a black boomerang covered in brown and deadly-looking spikes: Agatha was his opponent.

"Che. I end classes and I get a message that there's a _ramen_ knockout offer in this store… But it was a trap!" Netto grumbled.

"Yeah. And this shop has been empty for years." Rock Man grumbled.

"Hmpf. There's someone in your class worth my Mistresses' time. That's why I'll remove you from the way." Agatha announced.

"Yeah? Do ya think I'll let ya?"

"Hmpf. Worthless men. That red headed one will be worth my time. Heh, heh, heh." Atamane put up a smug smile.

"Whaddya want to do to Meiru – chan? Wait! You must be one of the thugs which escaped that police raid!" Netto grasped.

"Yeah. That's me. But I have my own business. And only women are allowed into it. Hmpf." She looked amused.

"… Girl on girl type, then…" Rock Man muttered.

"Greek Sword!"

Agatha took out a customized Long Sword with Greek symbols engraved on its blade: she jumped towards Rock Man.

"Battle Chip, Shirahadori! Slot In!"

"Shirahadori!"

Rock Man blocked the blade and forced Agatha to step back.

"Che."

"Did you think I wouldn't defend myself?" Rock Man questioned.

"Whatever." She scoffed.

"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Preparations: completed! Good work. Your role is over." A familiar voice rang out.

Both gasped as Sergei gallantly walked in and stood in threshold while having a smug smile on his face.

"Sergei!" Rock Man cursed.

"Agatha – san. Please depart the premises. I shall take care of the rest. Go ahead and meet up with your target." Sergei told her.

"Roger. Have at cha!"

"Tee, heh, heh." Atamane giggled.

"Damn." Netto cursed.

"Hrah!"

Sergei swung his sword around the room and the ground was deleted: they both dropped into a new room and Rock Man landed into the ground in a rather unceremoniously manner.

"Ouch!"

Sergei gave him the back and walked to the north end of the room: there was a doorway with the word "Shrine" written into it and four large pelican statues decorated the brown-tiled room.

"Pelicans of all things?"

The walls have some cavities build into them and there also was a mural with a curious drawing set above the north door: a purple sphere and a yellowish sphere were drawn to the right and left and there were connected by two straight lines colored purple and yellow: they formed a white sphere once they met in the middle.

"What, some rip-off? This guy keeps on lacking any imagination." Saito complained.

"Guess that…" Netto guessed.

Sergei seemed to be looking at it while Rock Man grumbled and stood up: he then looked above him: the "ground" of the store had reformed, trapping him inside of the room.

"Obviously."

The ground had a brown octahedron which had a circle and eight interrogation-sign like shapes extending from it: the rest of the ground was made of square brown tiles.

"… Heh."

Sergei turned around while looking amused.

"… Hiya, Cousin Saito. You're still alive, it'd seem. Meeting you again must mean that…"

"Another scripted battle…" Netto grumbled.

"Having our meeting repeat must mean that… There surely is a _red string of fate_ which is tying us…" He amusedly commented.

"Very original." Saito drily told him.

"Hmpf. Have a look at these! Yo!"

He spread his arms open and the mural was illuminated all of a sudden as if to allow him to have a better look to it.

"This explains the tale of an eternally ongoing conflict… The battle between "Light" and "Dark"! And the result of their mutual eternal clash is… Chaos! Self-destruction!" He grandly announced as he signaled them with the right arm.

"Che." Saito grumbled.

Sergei turned and assumed a pose as if he was revering the mural while sounding amused: he suddenly warped and appeared to the left while kneeling in an admiration pose.

"This looks bad." Netto grimly muttered.

"Heh, heh, heh. Watch…" Ivan teased.

"All the time I had to hold back 'cause it was way too early… But not anymore!" Sergei announced.

He warped again and appeared on a shelf right in front of the mural in a kneeled position: he stood up and slowly lifted his arms while letting out a sigh.

"I thought I'd be unable to meet that lovely girl twice, I really did… What desperation!" He announced.

"Yet again with the "maiden" talk…" Netto grumbled.

"This is just the prologue." Ivan teased.

Sergei crossed his arms and looked towards the right while looking in a good mood: he suddenly faced forward and opened them while making a sinister smile.

"However!"

He suddenly jumped into the air and dived towards Saito: he landed in front of him and suddenly appeared behind while leaning both hands on top of his shoulder pads.

"I've gotten good news by coming here. There's still one road left!" He exclaimed.

"Oi! Don't invade my personal space!" Saito protested.

He tried to turn around and punch Sergei, but he warped and gracefully landed one meter in front of him: he opened his arms and the room lightened up.

"Hah! That little girl is necessary for the completed resurrection of our Lord! I can finally possess "_it"_…!" Sergei announced.

"You're not gonna resurrect Twilight: we know that." Netto grumbled and sounded annoyed.

"Tch, tch… Don't be so quick to criticize, Cousin Netto." Ivan told him.

Sergei lowered his arms and looked slightly towards the right.

"By the way… Cousin Saito's treatment is still pending. I said "I'll grant you a living Hell", some time ago, if I'm not mistaken… Why don't we discard it? Hmmm?" Sergei commented in a casual tone.

He pointed his right hand at Saito while looking amused.

"… Heh… If you'd docily let out the location of the Time Space Device, then… No… Won't you tell me instead? Because I suppose you MUST know it… Right?" Sergei invited.

"Time Space Device… The machine Golden Star used to travel to and from "Beyondard", you mean? Don't you know that yourself?" Saito replied.

"Ah… My, my… Can't be helped… Should we go for it seriously this time around?" He suggested as he turned to let Saito see the left side of his body.

"Coming?" Netto wondered.

"Heh, heh, heh…"

Sergei slowly let the mantle dissolve and gently lifted his forearms while the room's lighting dimmed.

"Heh!"

His forearms' DNA-like patterns changed to a bright golden color all of a sudden.

"Whoa!" Both gasped.

"… How is it? What do you think of this meticulous skin? What do you think of these arms wrapped in flexible armored muscle? Aren't they beautiful? Can you see their grace?" Sergei asked while glancing at him.

"…"Beautiful"…" Netto looked skeptical.

"Heh, heh, heh. You never were the subtle type, Cousin Netto."

Some circuit-line purple lines formed on the left side of Sergei's face and upper torso, giving him a creepy-like aura.

"W-what?" Saito gasped.

"Scary~!" Netto gasped.

"… True…! I am…! My true form is…! Extremely elegant…! Elegantly faced…! Ah…" Sergei exclaimed while facing forward.

He suddenly looked to the left and sighed.

"But my precious true form does happen to have just one defect… It happens to have…"

"One defect…?" Saito wondered.

He suddenly looked forward and seemed to be trying to look imposing and commanding while making a grin.

"… Changing its condition is… not possible, you see." He announced.

"Don't say nonsense. You just changed a little bit of your code. It can always be changed back." Saito told him.

"… Well then, Cousin Saito… The _red string of fate_ which ties me with Cousin Saito… Our string of fate is surely… Tinted just like Cousin Saito's _blood color_, I guess… Heh, heh, heh…" He announced.

"Yikes!" Netto gasped.

"I knew it: this guy is a leech!" Saito cursed.

"Okay! Showdown! Only Sword-type Battle Chips are allowed. No – one will get on our way: I've locked off all accessing it!" Ivan eagerly announced.

Sergei calmly began to walk forward accompanied by what looked daggers sans handle and having a red light around them: they spun around their own axis and were hovering above his right shoulder and next to his left foot.

"Battle Chip, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Long Sword!"

Saito aimed for the daggers and then swept the sword from the left to right, hitting Sergei's outstretched right hand.

"Hah!"

He stepped back and snapped his fingers: another two daggers appeared and floated parallel to his upper torso.

"Now!"

Saito tried to hit him, but he caught the Long Sword while one of those daggers hovered above his head and aimed for Saito: it shot a small laser which startled him and forced him to recoil.

"Che." Netto grumbled.

Saito stepped back and analyzed the movement of another two daggers floating in front of his head and in front of the feet: he hit the palm and struggled to move the sword.

"Ho, ho, ho… I'll be taking this." Sergei announced.

Saito's Long Sword suddenly broke down into data and reformed into his right forearm.

"What!"

He swung it and hit Saito, kicking him into the floor: he then made it reform on Saito's right forearm.

"Damn. I'd forgotten this guy can steal swords." He grumbled.

"Hang in there, Saito – niisan!" Netto encouraged.

Saito nodded in agreement and managed to land some hits on Sergei: he recoiled and now summoned four daggers.

"Heh."

Saito took out two of them but got his Long Sword caught when he tried to hit the other two: Sergei summoned replacements while Saito struggled to free the Long Sword.

"Hmpf."

"Che."

The four lasers hit him and Saito had to recoil while grumbling something under his breath.

"Crap."

He focused again and managed to land two hits on Sergei's hand: he stepped back and took out his tongue which he swept through his lips while looking reminiscent of a vampire.

"Hmpf! Hah!"

He took out _two_ swords: he held one on the right forearm aiming towards the ground while the left forearm one was pointed at the ground.

"Crap. Two swords this time around…" Saito muttered.

"We should've seen it coming." Netto grumbled.

Saito tried to hit the right sword, but Sergei countered and pushed him into the ground: he then slowly licked the right sword's blade while sounding eager.

"Y-yikes! He wasn't kidding when he said that of my blood color!"

"But you can't bleed, right?"

"If I were a human, I'd be bleeding by now!" Saito pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah… Trying to attack directly is reckless. We'll have to wait for a window." Netto deduced.

Saito put some distance between him and Sergei swept the air with both swords: he held the right one above his head and the left one pointing skywards.

"Now!"

He quickly landed some hits into him before he jumped back: he snapped his fingers and about ten of those daggers popped out.

"Heh!"

"Again…!"

The daggers formed a curve and were placed exactly above Saito: they quickly moved left and right before colliding with him.

"Damn. He's really serious!" Saito cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh…" Sergei chuckled.

He suddenly landed another blow on Saito and licked off both blades while looking bloodthirsty.

"Hmpf." Ivan put up a smug smile.

"Che." Netto grumbled.

The daggers circled around Saito and quickly flew past him while leaving some cuts on his bodysuit.

"They're really sharp, too!" He cursed.

"Hah!"

Sergei jumped into the air and warped.

"What!"

He suddenly dropped from above and plunged both blades into Saito's shoulder pads while pushing him to the ground with his weight.

"A~h!" Saito groaned.

Sergei jumped out and it could be seen that some fragments of data had gotten attached to the swords' ends: his chest emblem shone and he absorbed them.

"Hmpf."

"Damn. My shoulders ache." Saito cursed.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 50! Slot In!"

The wounds vanished and Saito sounded relieved.

"Thanks, Netto – kun!"

"Coming!" Netto warned.

"O. K.!"

Sergei tried the same trick again, but Saito stepped asides and he plunged his swords into the ground.

"Eat this!"

Saito delivered about eight to nine hits before he jumped away and assumed his standard pose: the blades formed a curve again above him and flew past him while leaving some shallow cuts on his bodysuit.

"Che."

"Hmpf."

The blades formed a circle but Saito spun around his axis and shot some of them back at Sergei: he blocked them.

"Heh."

They appeared in front of him and formed three groups: the first group ones shot forward and Saito cut some of them.

"Huh!"

The next ones shot vertically and Saito made some of them bounce off and hit Sergei, who couldn't block all of them.

"Grah!"

The third and last group shot in a horizontal manner as well but they hit Saito because he swung his sword too early.

"I feel like I'm building up tension." Netto admitted.

"Yeah. I get that same feeling, too." Saito admitted.

Sergei came close and swung his swords from left to right while heading up and from right to left while heading down: the second blow hit Saito and he hissed as Sergei licked it off.

"Che! Take this!"

"Heh, heh, heh…"

He tried to counter, but Sergei ducked and jumped into the air before warping: he tried to come down from above, but Saito saw it coming and he managed to dodge and deliver some hits to him.

"Che." Sergei grumbled.

"Hah." Netto grinned.

"Hmpf." Ivan put up a smug smile.

"Crap." Saito cursed.

Sergei summoned the three rows of daggers and shot them forward: Saito cut through the first and second rows, but the third one hit him and he had to step back.

"Hah!"

Sergei summoned the blades again and they assumed a curved position as they shot toward Saito: he managed to cut through the third group and one or two hit Sergei, who stepped back and stopped.

"… Phew! It's over." Netto sounded relieved.

"… Gruh!"

Sergei used the right hand to cover the right side of his face and panted.

"… Hmpf. As expected…" He muttered.

"What?" Netto gasped.

"Heh." Ivan grinned.

"… You're really improved, Cousin Saito. I'll praise you." Sergei told him with a smile.

"Hmpf. I'm flattered." Saito dully replied.

"… Maybe you will be able to survive if you are to face _that person_ in battle… But I cannot guarantee that you will come out unscratched from such a battle." Sergei teased.

"I knew that."

"Heh, heh, heh… Okay. _Lil bro_! Time to pull out…" Ivan announced with a grin.

"Heh. _Bye – bye_." Sergei grinned.

"I'll beat the skin outta ya, Ivan!" Netto challenged.

"Come anytime." Ivan invited.

Sergei swung his swords and warped out of the room while the ground lifted up and Saito was returned inside of the abandoned store.

"PHEW!"

Hhe sighed in relief and stepped out only to be met by a possessed Navi who was standing there.

"…"S"..." He muttered.

"An amusing fight... Maybe I'll get inspired from it, even… I'm looking for some fresh ideas roaming out there…" He announced.

"Che." Netto grumbled.

"Enjoy… While you still can…" S taunted.

The Navi was freed and the black mass escaped.

_S… What kind of enemy is he? _Saito wondered.

_He has an overwhelming pressure to him…! _Netto gasped.

_Yeah… And he's giving me the creeps, too._ Saito admitted.

_They must be extremely powerful…!_

"Guts, guts… Rock Man! Is this the spice store? De guts?"

"No. It's four blocks south."

"Huh… Guess Guts Man needs a compa-something, too, de guts."

"A compass!" Tomahawk Man corrected.

…"_S"…! Who are you really? What's you game?_


	13. Chapter 13: Skirmishes

**Chapter 13: Skirmishes**

11:01 AM (Japan Time), Monday September the 27th…

"… HE'S MY FRIEND! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CLAIM HIM! YOU BOYFRIEND THIEF! - BOYFRIEND THIEF! ME! HOW DARE YOU! I'LL RIP THOSE ANTENNAE OUT OF YOUR SKULL! - I CHALLENGE YOU TO TRY! IF YOU TRY THEN ROCK MAN WILL DEAL WITH YA! - HE WON'T! I'VE CHARMED HIM! - YOU CALL THAT "CHARM"! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH, CHA! I'VE GOT ENOUGH OF YOUR ARROGANT ATTITUDE!"

Rock Man sighed as he tried to ignore the yells Riva and Roll shouted to each other while sitting on his chair behind the desk: he rolled his eyes and glanced at the door while the girls had picked the NW corner to yell at each other.

"_Buruusu_. I know you're in there."

Blues walked in while looking amused.

"Do I have a special smell?" He asked with a hint of amusement.

"You copied that from Shadow Man." Saito dully told him.

"So… When?"

"Hmmm… Maybe Thursday would do?" Saito suggested.

"Yeah. Thursday is fine."

"Good."

"Are they quarreling over you?" Blues guessed as he looked at the girls standing next to the end wall of the classroom.

"Yeah. There's no stopping them." Saito sounded defeated.

"Maybe…?"

"Chut! No! Remember: there are a lot of prejudices on that topic, _Buruusu_! IPC's rivals might try to use that on Enzan: he might get into trouble with his father!" Saito told him in a hushed tone and sounding scolding, for once.

"Huh! True. I'll shut my trap." Blues gasped.

"AND YOU'VE GOT ABSOLUTELY NO CHARISMA! THAT GUY WITH THE SHADES LOOKS COOL, BUT THE SHARO NATION GUY IS COOLER! - SHARO NATION GUY! IT'S SOLVED, THEN! GO TO YOUR SHARO NATION GUY AND DON'T COME BACK! - FOOL! HE'S TOO NOBLE TO ACCEPT A PLEBEIAN GIRL LIKE ME! - SO! YOU'RE A PLEBEIAN! THAT SAYS A LOT! - THAT GUY IS TEN TIMES COOLER, NEVERTHELESS!"

Blues seemed to frown under the shades.

"Don't worry. I only want to clear one spot." Blues hushed to Saito.

"Okay… Go ahead." Saito looked intrigued.

He walked over to the girls who didn't seem to realize he was there to begin with.

"Ahem, ahem… I am sorry for breaking up this charming _debacle_. But who is the "Sharo Nation guy"?" He asked in a dull tone of voice.

"You know! Mister Universe!"

"Hah! Mister Universe lives in Ameroupe!"

"Che!"

"I get it! He used to be your lover but ya ditched him 'cause you're a leech who tries to suck the blood out _naïve_ boys!" Roll told her with a smug smile and looking scary.

"Lover! How dare you insult Sergei – sama? I won't forgive ya! Bring it on, pink crap!" Riva roared.

"Did you say "Sergei – sama"?" Blues sounded suspicious.

"Ah! Sergei Ruufiki – sama: the so-charming actor who made his debut on the sci-fi film: _Expedition to Venus_!" She giggled and sounded like she was day-dreaming.

"Sorry. I've been paranoid. Keep at it but don't kill each other if you may. I guess Rock Man wouldn't like that." Blues told them with a smile.

Saito slapped his forehead and looked defeated.

"Okay… See you on Thursday, Saito."

"Yeah. And now they'll get more fuel for their boilers." Saito grimly muttered.

"You sound like you'd prefer another of those "original ideas" to those two…" Blues sounded amused.

"Yeah. I do, for once. It'd help shake these two off." Saito rolled his eyes and sounded exasperated.

"Heh, heh, heh… Goodbye."

"Take care, _Buruusu_."

Blues hummed a tune as he exited the classroom and Saito stretched: he brought up a holographic screen and began to read its contents in a bored manner while trying to ignore the continuous discussion of the girls.

"… GO TO THAT RUUFI-SOMETHING AND DON'T COME BACK! - YOU IDIOT! YOU DIDN'T HEAR! HE'S A HUMAN ACTOR! PATRICIA – CHAN IS THE ONE WHO ADORES HIM! I HAVE OTHER IDOLS! - SUCH AS ROCK MAN, RIGHT! - SUCH AS _NINJAS_!"

"… Heh, heh, heh. Interesting. _Ninja_ rarely get praised by their mere existence." A familiar voice rang out.

Saito lifted his sight, surprised, and the girls stopped to look at Shadow Man standing upside down above the teacher's desk.

"Calling on Shadow Man."

He detached from the ceiling and gracefully landed on the ground while folding his arms and looking amused.

"Shadow Man… Miyabi has a message for us?"

"Yeah. By the way… Shadow Man has arrived. Beware of the _Naraku_'s omens." Shadow Man announced.

"Oh come on." Saito groaned.

"Told ya! Ya are the personification of the women's toilet omen: a mournful spirit trapped in the _Naraku_!" Roll grinned.

"Go to the _Naraku_ by yer heavy feet!" Riva shot back.

"Don't mind 'em. So? Did you catch more thugs?" Saito told Shadow Man while rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. Miyabi got the head honcho of 'em last night. The police have already issued an embargo order on the money: the Akihara / Densan branch has collapsed. In short: one headache less." Shadow Man turned serious.

"About time!" He sighed in relief.

"Yeah. By the way… Beware of that woman who openly claimed to have sadistic traits. They can be deadlier than men when it comes to the topic and you should rather stay at a 100 kilometers from them." Shadow Man warned.

"Uh-oh. I better do." Saito gulped.

"Oh. One more thing… That Agatha woman… The Operator might target that pink girl's Operator… It's the "same gender" type. It could get ugly as well: these women act out of jealousy and it always leads to dangerous places." Shadow Man told him in a hushed tone.

"Yikes! Y-yeah. At least Yuriko is escorting Meiru - chan, so I don't think they'll battle again in the open."

"Good. But do not lower your guards. The _Naraku_'s envoys never stay quiet: they always want more."

"Then I'll go ahead and toss them into the Reverse Cyber World: let them be swallowed by it." Saito seriously announced.

"Good thinking. Maybe we should do that." Shadow Man agreed on it given his nodding.

"Good work, though. We're slowly removing the headaches. "And there were no headaches"…" Saito told him before improvising a joke.

"… I see. Interesting. I'll leave you with these two: let's see who'll dare to go for it." Shadow Man told him with a hint of amusement.

Before Saito could argue, he'd vanished with a cloud of smoke.

"YOU ARE AN INCOMPETENT BIG MOUTH! I'M GONNA RIP YOU TO SHREDS! - WHO WAS THE ONE THAT BLASTED YOU WITH A PROGRAM ADVANCE THE OTHER DAY! - THAT WAS CHEATING! - GO TO THE _NARAUKU_ WITH AN ELEVATOR! - YOU GO TO THE REVERSE CYBER WORLD! - THE REVERSE CYBER WORLD! HAH! NOT IN MY WILDEST NIGHTMARES! - YOU'RE A BANDIT AND AN OUTLAW! - BANDIT AND OUTLAW! HOW DARE YOU! - OF COURSE! THE NUMBER ONE OUTLAW IS THAT FUNNY DUDE WITH THE BROWN CLOAK! HE REALLY LOOKS LIKE AN OUTLAW FROM ONE OF THOSE WESTERN MOVIES! - WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!"

"I believe you were talking about _me_?" Someone else asked nearby with a tone of intrigue on his voice.

Both girls turned and saw Forte standing in the classroom's threshold and looking amused.

"Ah! Forte."

"Hello. Mind if I pick a seat?" Forte asked.

"Go ahead." Saito invited.

Forte sat down and opened his cloak as if to stretch.

"Been working hard, I see." Saito commented.

"Yeah. I've been into the energy theft thing to try to get a hold of how S manages to steal it off and where it goes off to… Zero. The only thing I found was another hijacked Navi who taunted me by calling me "Super Man wannabe" and "Neo Egyptian Empire Fanatic"… I had to hold back since the Navi couldn't be blamed… Man. If there's one thing I'm sure about the guy is that he likes taunting people. Must be the type of person to sit in a room somewhere and use proxies… Just like the military: I guess he must have some military background." Forte explained with a sigh.

"By the way… How could Riva – chan know about you? You hadn't been introduced to each other yet…" Saito frowned.

"Dunno…" Forte trailed off and frowned.

"YOU FOOL! DID YOU KNOW WHO YOU WERE MESSING WITH RIGHT NOW! - IT WAS JUST A FUNNY FUNKY DUDE! - SHUT YOUR TRAP! THAT'S FORTE! AND HE'S ONE OF THE STRONGEST AROUND! - AH! REALLY! BECAUSE ROCK MAN IS THE STRONGEST! - THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN HIM! NOBODY'S INVINCIBLE! - THANKS FOR THE REMINDER, MARTIAN! - MARTIAN! YOU'RE THE MARTIAN! - YOUR UGLY HELMET IS THE MARTIAN! - YOU'RE THE SUNIAN! YOU COME FROM THE SUN! DON'T YOU! - WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SUCH A SILLINES! - NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! FATTY! - FATTY! ME! YOU'RE THE FATTY ONE; YOU THINK YOU HAVE A SLIM FIGURE! - I DON'T "THINK" I HAVE A SLIM FIGURE! I _HAVE_ A SLIM FIGURE!"

"… _Clichéd_." Forte muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"…"Sunian"… What an invention." Saito looked unimpressed as well.

"Heh, heh. They could patent it." Forte teased.

"Please…" Saito slapped his forehead.

"Guess I'm lucky not being their target: I must look rude to 'em." Forte amusedly commented.

"_CLICHÉD _IDIOT! - _CLICHÉD_! HOW DARE YOU! YOU ARE THE _CLICHÉD_! YOU ALWAYS NEED SOMEONE TO COME AND SAVE YOU! - SHUT THE TRAP UP! - NEVER! - I'LL CALL THE COPS! - HAH! AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CONVINCE THEM! - WAIT AND SEE! - HAH! I WON'T WAIT AND I WON'T SEE! YOU WILL SOON BE IN THE _NARAKU_! - T'IS AIN'T A DRILL! - WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A DRILL! - YOUR DEMON! - WHAT DEMON! - THAT BIG, FAT, IDIOT! - GORILLA MAN! HAH! HE'S TOO IDIOTIC TO EVEN KNOW WHAT "DEMON" MEANS! I GOT YOU! - T'IS AIN'T OVER! NOT YET! - BUT OF COURSE IT ISN'T! - I'M SO GONNA FILL THAT HORRID FACE OF YOURS WITH SCARS!" Both kept on yelling.

"… They're gonna slaughter each other like fire and water." Saito grimly muttered.

"Yeah. I guess that'll be the outcome." Forte agreed on it.

"AND I'LL RIP THAT HORRIBLE HAIR THAT COMES FROM BEHIND YOUR HELMET! - HORRIBLE HAIR, YOU SAY! I'VE SEEN WORSE STYLES! - I THOUGHT TESLA MAGNETS WAS THE ONE WITH THE HORRIBLE HAIR AND I WAS WRONG! YOU'RE WORSE THAN HER! - I DON'T KNOW WHO THE HECK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! - IT DOESN'T MATTER! ROT IN THE REVERSE CYBER WORLD, YOU BOYFRIEND THIEF! - WHY, YOU! I SHALL RIP YOU TO SHREDS! - I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY TO DO SO!"

"Roll! Enough!"

"Riva! Stop already!"

Both turned around and played the offended while both Operators acted the same way.

"It was about time someone stopped them, I think. We had to mute all PCs to be able to have class." Netto told Saito.

"Hello, Hikari." Forte greeted.

"Yo! Forte. I heard the stuff. How old do you think "S" is, anyway?" Netto asked.

"Good question. Let's see… Let's assume he's military and joined at the minimum allowed of 18… He claims to have "been at it for ten years"… So… He could be 28 or 29… Maybe on his 30s, too… I'd place him a bit younger than you guys' father and around Airstar or Tesla Magnets' age even."

"A guy on his 30s, huh… Guess it's to be expected from a military man to be so clever… I mean… The Barrel – san of Earth and the one who lived in "Beyondard" were or are on their 30s, too, and they had the "Colonel" rank, too…" Netto commented.

"Yeah. The guy could be a high-ranking official, too." Saito commented while shrugging.

"My dear Watson: I'll praise you. But, alas, even though your deduction was very good, it had one big red X on it…" An amused distorted manly voice rang out.

They both gasped and spotted a student's Navi which had been hijacked and was standing next to them.

"Leech." Forte told him.

"Yeah. I'm a leech." S amusedly replied.

"So you're a civilian."

"Bravo. Or maybe I should say I'm a bureaucrat?" S replied while sounding like he was teasing them.

"A bureaucrat… There are lots of them on their 30s. And we don't know if "S" is the initial to your family name or first name." Forte told him while looking unimpressed.

"I like playing around with suspense." S admitted.

"Isn't that distorter really pointless? We have no way of knowing who you are." Netto told him.

"Hmpf. Who knows?"

"Yet… You don't sound like a man on his 30s. I can't see any peculiar dialect, but… You sound like a middle school student of some years ago: you have a slightly phased out sentence building method. Maybe you're a post graduate student?" Forte told him.

"Sadly enough… I never got to begin high school, even." S sounded somewhat like he'd wished to be able to course high school.

"Did you have an illness which forced you to stay at the hospital for a lot of time? Or were you in a coma? Because it's not like you decided not to go to high school: something got in the way." Forte frowned and looked suspicious.

"I'll admit that you're correct in one thing: someone got in the way. But that someone died ten years ago."

"Ten years ago again… That brings us to 1996. And if you didn't get to begin high school yet you finished middle school… We must be talking about June – September of that same year." Saito deduced while bringing a hand to his chin.

"It'd seem, thought, that one middle school _cliché_ didn't change over these last ten years: jealousy and competition between girls." S sounded like he was making a comparison.

"I guess you must've been looking at their discussion." Netto guessed.

"Yeah. It was amusing. I'm gonna be an idea thief and patent "sunian" ahead of 'em." S kept on sounding amused.

"So? Does S – sama know when we'll see his ugly hide?" Forte asked in a sarcastic tone.

"I thought it'd happen in less than two weeks. But we tried to rush it too much and one device got broken. We're repairing it after having analyzed what went wrong."

"You aren't trying to load up a doomsday device, I hope." Saito didn't sound surprised.

"What? A doomsday device…? No. By the way! Thanks for destroying "Spectrum"! Our ghost of the past is gone at last." S replied before making an announcement.

"Oh? You've had a bad experience with "Spectrum"? Weird. The only one who underwent an experiment with it was Barrel Tai – sa over twenty years ago. But I guess you knew that." Forte frowned.

"… I'm afraid I'd be giving out too much… Hmmm? Ah. It's you. What's up…? Oh? It's working again? Perfect." S told them before seemingly addressing someone else.

"So your broken machine is working up again." Netto guessed.

"… Excuse me for a min. I'm engrossed with those guys. Huh? You wanna take part? Well… But put on the distorter." S seemed to be talking with the newcomer before he sounded surprised.

There was a slight sound like a wireless micro switching hands and someone tapped into it as if to check it worked.

"So? Whose turn is it now?" Forte asked.

"Hullo. Call me "B"." A new manly voice greeted.

"So we have S and B. You two were classmates?" Saito guessed.

"Yeah. Middle school, huh? Man. I still remember how we worked out in the P. E. classes. That was our favorite class." B admitted like if he was remembering the good old times.

"It'd seem that you are rather honest." Forte commented.

"Guess so. Anyway… Like S was telling you guys… One of our machines is up and running again. So… I guess that fifteen days should be enough to have all of them loaded up and running. Installing them took us two weeks already." B explained.

"And those machines… "Golden Star" began working on them but they then relegated the job on Ivan and Sergei?" Netto deduced without too much surprise.

"Yeah. In case you guys were wondering… _We_ were the ones who contacted Golden Star: we saw potential on 'em. And potential they sure had thanks to our little helping hand. We both ended up winning, after all, so... Ain't that right?" B told them.

"True. So? What are you gonna do when the machines finish up loading energy? You'll recreate a supernova?" Forte sarcastically asked while looking dull and unimpressed.

"… A supernova…? Hah, hah, hah, hah… True, fusion cores work like stars… But who wants a supernova save for the astronomers? I admit I did some _amateur_ astronomy with my two companions back then: it's interesting to reflect upon it when you have time. You never tire of it to begin with!" B sounded like he was having fun.

"Two companions… S is one of them. And there's a girl as well, are we to assume?" Saito guessed.

"Yeah. I would patch her, but she's busy with overseeing another of the machines. It's not like we're short on staff but we three are the only ones who know those things' bolts and nuts. We helped to design them, after all! We were slightly inspired by the Super Energy Cores of "Dimensional Converters"…" B explained.

"… And what did you think of the energy system they used?" Forte asked him.

"A nightmare: only someone as crazy as that Twilight guy would've come up with it." B quickly replied.

There suddenly was a loud sound on the other end and a loud hum began to echo from what sounded like beneath the spot where the microphone was at: there was some rumbling as well.

"Whoa! This one began receiving the energy of the other three! We thought it'd take another two days!" B sounded surprised and was seemingly speaking with his companion.

There was the sound of someone tapping a stone with something metallic and light: everyone frowned.

"… Morse Code." Forte gasped.

"What does it say?" Netto asked.

"… C – H – U – T… CHUT… Chut? That's a King Land English expression to signify "silence"… Oh. I see." Forte muttered before smiling.

"Crap! This thing is still open! The surprise made forget it… But, S… Did you really have to bother to use Morse code? What's the problem of speaking aloud?" B sounded puzzled.

There was another tapping.

"… T – O – N – E… TONE… Tone… Voice tone?" Saito frowned.

"Oh! True, true… I keep on forgetting. Can't be helped, though…" He muttered.

The metallic object made its sounds again.

"… E – N – D… END… End… To end?" Forte wondered.

"Sorry. But I guess S thinks we're gonna get a scandalously expensive phone bill this month around. _Ciao_!" B quickly told them.

The Navi was freed and the matter flew out before anyone could stop it to begin with.

"So! We know something: we can narrow their age down to 25-26. They didn't get to course high school. Something happened in the summer of 1996. "Spectrum" is like a curse for them. And one of their machines has started to load faster than expected. Yet, they seem to have a bureaucrat charge and they have a lot of "employees"." Forte summed up.

"That sums it up pretty well. Their initials are B and S. There's an unidentified girl as well. Both of them seemingly liked P. E. classes and practiced _amateur _astronomy. But that's too vague: there must tens of thousands of students who fit in that category!" Netto summed next before sighing in defeat.

"There's something with their voice tones, too. That's the reason S bothered to use Morse code to warn him. There's something made of stone wherever they are at." Saito frowned.

"Voice tone…? What could be wrong with it if they're people on their mid 20s? Do they like to imitate _anime_ voice actors and think that it's something shameful, maybe?" Forte suggested.

"But since we've recorded all of it, we can hand the data over to the Net Police and they'll begin working on it." Saito shrugged.

"Ops. Break time is almost over. Sorry, guys. I gotta get back to work. Take care, Forte!" Netto gasped and smiled.

"Okay. Do your best." Forte smiled.

"Tee, heh, heh. Ayanokouji – sama's _deko_ means that she still lives in the Edo Age! That's when it was popular! Tee, heh, heh." Riva told Glyde while giggling.

"Lovely. Is trouble always gonna chase us the whole time or WHAT?"


	14. Chapter 14: Knife fight

**Chapter 14: Knife fight**

17:27 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday September the 28th…

"… So this is the place…"

"A trap: that's what it reeks of."

"Yeah…"

Rock Man was standing in front of a large warehouse building on the outskirts of Internet City and looking at its decadent state.

"We got a mail claiming that there was "something interesting" in here, but it's obviously a trap crafted by someone." Netto commented with a hint of annoyance.

"Netto – kun. You know the motto: "the best way to deal with a trap is to trigger it". We've gotta risk it or we won't make any noticeable progress at all." Rock Man told him.

"Guess so… Be on your edge, Rock Man."

"Roger."

Rock Man stepped in and climbed up some stairs: the space had various catwalks and platforms spread in different levels and the light entered via the holes on the ceiling's windows.

"Hmm…" He muttered.

A silhouette silently landed behind him and stood up.

"Ah!"

He turned around and drew the Rock Buster: there was no – one there but the tension could be felt in the air.

"… My imagination…?" He wondered.

He heard a noise: he saw a hand grabbing a horizontal pipe and a shape flying towards him.

"Huh!"

He rolled forward to dodge although he got a cut on his right cheek which he ignored: he stood up and spotted the attacker: Knife Man.

"… Knife Man. Shadow Man told me about you." Rock Man icily told him as he aimed the Rock Buster at him.

"Hmpf. It'd seem you do have some reflexes." Knife Man taunted.

"Would I still be alive if I hadn't had them?" Rock Man shot back.

"The serious type… Good." He looked amused.

"Janus or Sergei hired you."

"Yeah. Good employers: we get juicy prepayments." Knife Man admitted with a smile.

Knife Man talked while he paced around and Rock Man did not lose sight of him: Knife Man suddenly tried to attack with his knife, but Rock Man dodged and took out a dagger of his own and tried to counter: the guy dodged.

"… That dagger… Shadow Man gave it to you." Knife Man guessed.

"Yeah. Now I can stand on equal ground."

The mercenary moved the knife in arch two quick times although Rock Man was able to dodge it.

"Huh!"

He moved forward at a quick speed next but Rock Man blocked the attack: the two knives made a scratching sound when hitting each other and they separated.

"Che." Knife Man grumbled.

"Didn't I say it? I'm no easy prey." Rock Man told him.

"Hmpf."

Knife Man kicked an empty oil drum which was lying on the floor and sent it flying towards Rock Man.

"Crap."

He pushed it aside with the arm and blocked the other knife just in time while having a grimace on his face.

"Too close…!"

The inertia from Knife Man's movement made Rock Man jump backwards while his opponent jumped forward: they landed in an inferior level and Knife Man flipped in the air to land on a crouched position.

"Hmpf. It's getting interesting." He muttered.

"Che." Rock Man grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh… You can see it: your odds are at a low here." Knife Man taunted with a smug smile.

"Trying to guess the outcome before it comes is silly and over-confident too. If you're strong then prove it right here and now!" Rock Man dully told him.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh! Then I'll settle it in one blow!" Knife Man announced.

Knife Man ran towards Rock Man: he blocked.

"Che."

They started to block each other and kept at it for some seconds: Rock Man suddenly let go for a sec of the knife and then grabbed it again with his right hand to change its angle.

"Take this!"

He managed to land a diagonal cut across Knife Man's torso.

"Huh!"

Knife Man spun around using the inertia to put up some safety distance between the two: he then looked at the wound.

"Heh." He smiled.

"Crap." Rock Man cursed.

He ran forward but Rock Man blocked his knife hand with his left hand: he turned around and blocked the right arm where he had the knife, against Knife Man's left arm: they pushed against each other for some seconds and struggled on the pushing.

"Heh. I win." Knife Man announced.

"Shit." Rock Man growled.

Knife Man turned Rock Man around and kicked him: he skid a meter or two along the ground.

"Grah!"

His knife slid away and he had to crawl back while drawing the Rock Buster.

"Rock Buster!"

Knife Man suddenly jumped into the air and landed right above his chest emblem: he aimed the knife at it and Rock Man had to use both hands to try to keep him at bay.

"Die." Knife Man icily announced.

A shot rang out all of a sudden: Knife Man's weapon flew out of his hand and got stuck in the ground some meters to the side.

"Get off me!"

Rock Man took the opportunity to push his opponent apart and stood up to see who'd shot the attack.

"Search Man!"

Search Man was standing on an upper level catwalk and aiming his Scope Gun at Knife Man's head.

"… If it isn't the Sharo Nation Net Police fella." Knife Man sneered with a smug smile.

"Give up, Knife Man. Your odds are low on this." Search Man warned while aiming for him.

"Heh."

Knife Man flipped into the air and landed into a catwalk some meters upwards: he looked down (literally) on Rock Man.

"You may be able to prolong your life. But it's not like you can escape your inevitable death. Is it?" He challenged.

"… I shall revive the Demon King – sama which you guys have just decimated!" A familiar voice announced.

Sergei appeared in front of Knife Man while having a smug smile on his face: he kept on having that new appearance.

"Cyber punk." Rock Man told him.

"My. What a title. You could patent it, Cousin Saito." Sergei invited with a broad smile.

He snapped his right hand's fingers: Knife Man's knife was warped into his right hand.

"O. K._, Danna_. I'm going. See ya." Knife Man announced.

He logged out while both Navis confronted Sergei.

"… I'm not in the mood to play with both of you anymore. My useful pawns will take care of that." Sergei shrugged.

"Shit." Netto hissed.

"Damn." Laika cursed.

Sergei suddenly performed some kind of dance by warping around the catwalks before stretching his arms and making gestures like he was looming them over something.

"… You novices don't realize something: Special Summoning needs time to be done! Couldn't you have been good guys and waited…? Huh? This spot is my climax!" He exclaimed.

He suddenly covered his face with both hands as if he was exasperated and then violently aimed the right arm towards the ceiling.

"Coming!" He announced while switching to an eager mood.

There was a sound and a white plastic spheroid dropped into the warehouse while breaking through the ceiling.

"This one should be enough. Farewell! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

He suddenly laughed aloud and vanished after snapping his right hand's fingers: the spheroid split open and "Zoan" Dark Man came out of it.

"The Demon Tribe's Army General, "Zoan" Dark Man, has arrived!" He proclaimed.

"Damn. This one was hard to chew." Rock Man hissed.

"… It can't be helped: we have to beat him." Search Man grumbled and sounded annoyed.

"Killer Beam!"

Both dodged just in time and the Killer Beam hit the ground: a hole formed on it and some smoke.

"Dark Shadow!"

Zoan Dark Man threw the purple and black axe towards them: they both ducked to dodge, but the axe acted as a boomerang and came back while getting stuck on Rock Man's back.

"Gra~h!" He yelled in pain.

"Niisan!" Netto gasped.

"Flame Tower!"

"Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball! Slot In!"

Search Man rolled across the ground to dodge and threw the Ice Cannon Ball at "Zoan" Dark Man.

"Ice Wave!"

"What?"

The cold wind pushed the Ice Cannon Ball back and it hit Saito instead, trapping him inside of a block of ice.

"Damn! Battle Chip, Salamander! Slot In!"

The Salamander melted the ice and Rock Man plunged towards Dark Man, who merely opened a purple portal: several bats came out of it and he vanished.

"What?"

Rock Man plunged through the earlier hole and hit a gas tank instead: a brutal explosion ensued and he was sent flying across the warehouse's space.

"Gra~h!"

He felt a hand closing around his neck and spotted "Zoan" Dark Man grabbing him with his right hand.

"Say farewell!"

"Freeze Bullet!"

The Freeze Bullets froze parts of Dark Man's body and he fell into the ground because of the extra weight: Rock Man broke free and jumped away, panting.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 300! Slot In!"

Rock Man healed while "Zoan" Dark Man grumbled something and assumed his "Bestialize" form.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!"

Rock Man gained the Falzer form and shot forward towards "Zoan" Dark Man while surrounded by crimson light: "Zoan" Dark Man did the same while surrounded by a purple light: he began to gain speed as he flew across the air too.

"Die!"

"Wrong!"

"What!"

Rock Man plunged his claws into his chest emblem and then tossed him into the burning gas deposit.

"Feather Shoot!"

He shot some feathers at another tank and the resulting explosion took out the enemy with a large roar of agony.

"Phew! This guy made us sweat this time around, too." Netto sighed in relief.

"Sorry for before." Search Man apologized.

"You're not to blame, Search Man."

"Man. This one was intended to be though." Laika grumbled.

"And sending an assassin after us… I guess I'll be relying on Yuriko to escort me." Netto grumbled.

"Yeah. But I rather they'd like to do that by their hands." Saito grumbled.

"Why don't we scram before he can pull another "Special Summon" into us?" Search Man suggested.

"I've had enough of 'em for one day. Let's scram."

Both Navis departed the Cyber World while another possessed Net Navi had witnessed the confrontation.

"A knife fight… Interesting. Using fire to fight fire… Heh, heh, heh… The "Net Saviors" have some intriguing ideas." S commented aloud.

"Yo~! Breaking Breaker of Breaks came~!"

"B. Stop popping out like that, will you?" S seemed to sigh.

"Heh, heh, heh. Bite my ugly cloak."

"Yeah, yeah. Be as sarcastic as you want."

"Let's rumble and shake 'long the bottle! Heh, heh, heh!"

17:59 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Say, _lil bro_… I've had an idea."

"Oh? What's that "idea", _big bro_?"

Sergei had returned to the server room and looked up to something while Ivan seemed interested.

"Let's pick some of the freelancers and invite them to a round of new battles: they'll toy with 'em." Sergei exposed.

"Good idea. They must be itchin' for action. I'll need a bit of time to prepare proxies. And I've got some in mind, too." Ivan looked amused at the idea.

"Yeah. Stall for time. We're making quicker than expected progress over here, too." A familiar voice told them.

They gasped and looked at Ivan's Link PET: another possessed Navi was inside of it.

"Sir!" Both saluted.

"Can you stall until Saturday?" S questioned.

"Sir. Consider it done, sir." Both replied.

"Good. My "show" is about to start on Saturday. That's why I said we're making quicker than expected progress." S told them.

"Roger, sir."

"Excellent. I'll be going to arrange for some popcorn and orange juice… Is that still fashionable?" S amusedly announced before asking.

"Eh… We think it is the case, sir." Sergei replied.

"Oh. True, true… You two aren't the types to go to the cinema and see a movie there… I'll be going." S didn't stop sounding amused.

"R-roger."

"Roger Man showed up!"

"…"B"! Be quiet! Huh! _Bye – bye_!"

The Navi came out of the PET and both sighed in relief.

"… Anyway… Let's take a rest and then we'll start working on the stuff, see. That reminds me… Do you think the info Riva's Operator gave us is trustable? I mean… It's just a hunch." Ivan brought up.

"I believe on it. Blues' sneaky visits to Cousin Saito… They're no "training" at all: they're having a juicy and fascinating _affair_…" Sergei teased with a broad grin.

"Heh. Interesting. Maybe we can use that to keep them at bay: it's somewhat _clichéd_ but useful." Ivan looked amused.

"Heh, heh, heh." Both chuckled.

"… Heh, heh, heh! I knew it. That's why Blues has such a passion for you, Saito – niisan."

"Jeez… Netto – kun…!"

Saito was trying to cover his privates after Netto had suddenly sneaked on him when he was having a shower: he was blushing while Netto looked amused.

"Oh come on! Don't I get the right to some privacy, otouto? I never intrude yours! Jeez!" Saito protested while blushing.

"Tee, heh, heh. You're timid! I'll be teasing you." Netto grinned.

"Huff! Didn't you wish for some privacy back when we first met Tamako – san? She got into the showers while you had just a towel on 'cause she wanted to continue or Net Battle!" Saito brought up.

"That was because Tamako – san was a lady…" Netto shrugged.

"Jeez!" Saito grumbled.

He picked the shower and suddenly sprayed Netto's face and hair with it while looking annoyed.

"Wha! Hot, hot!"

"Sorry. But there's a limit to these things, otouto. It was about time you behaved!" Saito told him.

"Grjftx! You win… niisan…" Netto rolled his eyes.

He came out of the bathroom while Saito sighed in relief and closed the door from the inside.

"Jeez. Otouto can be a bad boy when he wants to! The only one I let see me unclothed is Blues 'cause he's my… _lover_, I guess…" Saito grumbled before getting stuck and improvising.

He applied the shampoo to his head and then showered while feeling somewhat relaxed by it.

"Ah… This feels good!" He muttered.

He then shut the shower off and picked a towel to dry his body before he closed his eyes and focused: his bodysuit reformed but he purposely left the hair loose.

"Phew."

He unlocked the door and came out into the main room: Netto was finishing up his homework.

"I'm sorry for before, Saito – niisan… I wanted to pull a joke."

"Okay. I'll forgive you, Netto – kun, but please don't it again: we all have the right to have our private time." Saito told him.

"Yeah. I understand."

"Good. Let's keep on moving forward."

"But you really have a cool body… No wonder Legato was mad to have sex with you, niisan!" Netto grinned.

"Speak about how Oriol had sex with you."

"Well…"

"Heh, heh, heh. I win this round, otouto – chan!"


	15. Chapter 15: New Round

**Chapter 15: New Round**

09: 09 AM (Japan Time), Thursday September the 30th…

"… Meijin! An intruder!"

"Damn. Demolition Man! He's back again!"

"Can I help?"

Meijin turned around to see Obihiro standing there.

"Shun – kun will do. Go!"

"_Thank you_, Meijin – san!"

"By the way…" Meijin called out.

"Yes, sir? What is it?"

"… _San wa iranai_."

"R-roger. Eh… Plug In! Hunter Man, Transmission!"

Hunter Man entered Level 1 and found several craters and downed Security Navis: he ran on ahead and entered Level 2.

"Boom!"

Hunter Man gasped and jumped back in the air as several TNT cartridges with a lit fuse fell on the spot he'd been at: they exploded.

"Bwah, hah, hah, hah!"

Demolition Man dropped down while having more cartridges ready on both hands: Hunter Man aimed his built-in shotgun at him.

"Huh? Ye aren't Rock Man! Where's the kid at?"

"Hum. First of all: Rock Man legally is a teenager. Second: Need Not To Know. Third: my name's Hunter Man. Fourth: you're an intruder. Fifth: I'm authorized to capture you." Hunter Man calmly and dully listed without being impressed.

"Che! Bureaucrat!" Mole scoffed.

"I'm no bureaucrat: I'm a researcher!"

"What the… A kid…? Stop your joke: that's impossible." Mole looked skeptical.

"You haven't heard of "geniuses", then."

"… Huh…? Aren't those the ones which come out of a lamp and grant ya a wish…? They're a fantasy!" Demolition Man replied.

"Che! _Tensai_!"

"What the…!" Mole cursed.

"Che! Ramming Demolition!"

Demolition Man crouched and assumed a spherical form as he shot towards Hunter Man.

"Hunter Man! Go!"

"Roger. Shotgun Round!"

He loaded the shotgun and shot a close-quarters blast, sending Demolition Man flying and falling down the Level 2 shaft: he hit a platform several grounds beneath and grumbled.

"The punk…!" He cursed.

He quickly climbed upwards but found Hunter Man to have loaded his shotgun with energy.

"Charge Shot!"

The blast sent him flying and he got stuck in one wall.

"Incredible…!" Meijin commented.

"Huh? You think so, Meijin – san?"

"_San wa iranai_…!"

"Fuck! I'm so gonna blow this punk!" Demolition Man cursed.

"Try it." Hunter Man calmly challenged.

"Che! Demolition Punch!"

Demolition Man jumped in front of him and tried to hit him with both punches but Hunter Man ducked and placed the shotgun's muzzle right beneath the chest emblem.

"Plasma Shotgun!"

The powerful blast sent Demolition Man flying again and he groaned in agony as a burning wound opened up on his body.

"Shit!" Mole cursed.

Demolition Man hit the ground many meters below and groaned as Hunter Man landed in front of him and aimed the shotgun.

"You're under arrest." He announced.

"… Hmpf. I can't allow that to happen."

"Who…?"

Someone fell down from above and kicked Hunter Man on the face, making him recoil: he fell over its rim and into a lower platform all of a sudden.

"Whack!"

Sergei landed in front of Demolition Man and looked amused as he looked down (literally) on Hunter Man.

"What an irony. The hunter got hunted!" He announced.

"You lowlife…!" Hunter Man hissed.

"Hmpf. Play with 'im." He called out.

"Tunnel Crusher!"

The "Asteroid" Drill Man entered by drilling through the walls while being on his compact form: he resumed his normal form and landed in front of Hunter Man.

"Hmpf."

Sergei swung his sword and used his warp abilities to pull both him and Demolition Man out of the area.

"You lowlife will be crushed by the great me. Triple Hole!"

Drill Man compacted and summoned another two drills: Hunter Man jumped into the air and shot a blast, but it bounced off his body with a loud metallic echo.

"Drill Diver!"

He dived towards Hunter Man and rammed into him.

"Groah!"

"Hunter Man!"

"I am… alright… Shun – sama…!" He called out.

"Hah! I'm invincible!" Drill Man boasted.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

"Useless! Triple…!"

The Giga Cannon's blast was faster than Drill Man: it hit him fully and annihilated him.

"This one had to be a "Phantom" version." Meijin deduced.

"Hunter Man! Are you okay?"

"I am… alright… I just need… to rest… Shun – sama…"

"Good job, Shun – kun and Hunter Man."

"_Thank you_, Meijin – san!"

"… _San wa… iranai_…" Meijin sighed in defeat.

09:49 AM (Japan Time)…

"… HAH! ROAST! I shall _roast_ all of Internet City! Internet City _a la vinaigrette…_! UWAH, HAH, HAH, HAH!"

Roast Man was setting Internet City on fire from atop the Silver Tower by using his flamethrowers and explosives spheres: explosions rang out everywhere.

"Star Breaker Laser!"

"Needle Cannon!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"Thunderbolt!"

"GO~A~H!"

Thunder Man, Blues and Needle Man dropped in accompanied by a fourth Net Navi: they had attacked Roast Man with incandescent meteors coming out of a rift, a volley of needles, the "Sonic Boom" and by having a thunderbolt rain down on him.

"Thank you for comin' over, Laser Man!" Needle Man told him.

"Do not mind it. Dr. Regal – sama wanted to be helpful." The one named Laser Man told them.

"Another punk who stirs up trouble wherever I go to… Stick out your neck, you! I'm fed up with the likes of you!" Thunder Man sounded rather annoyed.

"It'd seem you lowlife need another lesson." Blues told him.

"Shit. The red punk, a mummy wannabe, a needle punk and some kind of black giant…" Smokin' grumbled.

"Grah! I'm fed up with all of 'em! Roastin' Radius!"

Roast Man stood up and was surrounded by fire which then shot out in a ring form: the four Navis jumped into the air although Laser Man had to land in the nearest tower due to his weight.

"Shit! I failed?" Roast Man cursed.

"No way!" Smokin' cursed.

"Star Breaker Laser!"

Laser Man aimed his two tubes at the sky: a rift formed and some incandescent meteors rained down while bombarding Roast Man, who ended up falling off the tower and into the street while leaving a crater along the way.

"Grah…!"

Blues jumped down and aimed his Long Sword at him.

"Speak. What's Janus' phone number?" He demanded.

"Che! Dunno! Ask Dan!" He scoffed.

"I always delete it: take that!"

"… Hmpf. But we know how to recover data from Link PETs' flash memories: we designed them to begin with." Enzan grinned.

"Good move." Raoul grinned.

"Not so hot anymore?" Yuriko taunted.

"Give it up, criminal." Dr. Regal added.

"… I didn't really take you seriously from the start as I should've… I kept on playing the nice person and the thing escalated." A rather annoyed voice rang out.

They gasped and spotted Sergei standing atop the Silver Tower and folding his arms.

"… Because I'm also a servant of the great Demon King – sama I'm obliged to protect my dignity… That's why I've been always tolerating it." He kept on saying while sounding annoyed.

"Demon King…?" Dr. Regal wondered.

"Please do not mind it: he's copying a fantasy game character."

"Ah. I understand."

"Since it appealed as something good to you then you got cocky all those times…"

"Che." Needle Man grumbled.

"He came." Blues grumbled.

"The enemy…" Laser Man muttered.

"Hmpf! You! Grunts! Play with those guys." He called out.

Four Dream Viruses showed up in front of them while Sergei warped and appeared next to Roast Man.

"You. Pyromaniac. Run." He commanded.

"O-okay, _Danna_!" Roast Man gasped.

"Operator: you have the money. Don't count on our assistance if you try to go out without us having hired you." Sergei told him.

"R-roger!" Smokin' gulped.

"… I have an idea. Let us try to line them on a row while facing us." Laser Man told them.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Laser Man always has bright ideas! Needle Cannon!" Needle Man announced.

"I don't doubt it. Let's do it, Thunder Man! Sonic Boom!"

"_Okay_, Blues! Thunderbolt!"

The attacks got their attention and they formed forward: Laser Man charged up his cannons and palms and concentrated four beams into one: it cleaved through the four of them and deleted them.

"Wow!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Use their little intelligence against them." Dr. Regal smiled.

"Bravo, sir!"

11:05 AM (Japan Time)…

"… MINE! - MINE! - GET LOST! YOU FANCY ANTI-FASHION GIRL! - ANTI-FASHION GIRL! ME! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT WILL GET LOST IN ANTARCTICA! - GO TO YOUR DOOM! UGLY! - YOU'RE THE UGLY ONE HERE!"

"Come on, come on…"

Rock Man was trying without success to calm both girls down in another of their endless skirmishes during break time.

"SAITO - KUN! TELL ME! YOU LOVE ME, RIGHT!"

"NO! HE LOVES ME! RIGHT! SAY IT, ROCK MAN!"

"You're just my friends! That's all! Why is it so hard?" He sighed in defeat.

"I'm just a friend? No! I'm sure you love me, Saito – kun!" Roll insisted.

"Of course he doesn't! He can't resist my charm!" Riva proclaimed.

"Hey! You! Don't mess with this!" Roll threatened.

"Hey! You! Don't screw up!" Riva shot back.

"You are! And your ugly mouth, too!"

"Ugly mouth my nose!"

"BRING IT ON! - I'LL BURY YOU ALIVE IN THE REVERSE CYBER WORLD! - DO YOU EVEN KNOW _WHERE_ THE REVERSE CYBER WORLD IS! SHOW-OFF! - I DUNNO! BUT THAT OUTLAW FELLA SURELY KNOWS! THE REVERSE CYBER WORLD IS RUMORED TO BE THE ABODE OF THE OUTLAWS! - HE'S A GOOD GUY! YOU HEARD HIM! - NO! HE'S A SARCASTIC BLOKE! - SARCASTIC BLOKE! HAH! BLUES IS THE NUMBER ONE SARCASTIC BLOKE! - THAT RED GUY! COME ON! THAT'S IT! ROLLING STONE! GO WITH THAT RED GUY AND LEAVE ROCK MAN TO ME! - ROLLING STONE! HOW DARE YOU! YOU SOUND LIKE A CHARACTER FROM ONE OF THOSE ROMANTIC NOVELS!"

"I'm gonna get a headache." He grimly muttered.

"Yeah. I'm getting it, too." Netto muttered

"… Heh, heh, heh…" A familiar chuckle ran out.

"S. Show your new proxy." Saito dully challenged.

A possessed Navi walked in and stood in front of Saito's desk: Saito looked at him with a totally uninterested face.

"My. You look like I'm as boring as the "Control X" presentation." He sounded amused.

"… You stalked us like Mr. Shade or what?" Saito questioned.

"Heh, heh, heh… Kanou Shade didn't realize that he wasn't the only one following your progress. But I've been at it ever since 1998." S told him while sound amused.

"1998? That was eight years ago. I was five… Wait. Oh. So you know who I am." Saito frowned and then caught the fact.

"Man. Why does everyone seem to know it? I told the guys and Enzan, Laika still thinks we play brothers, it was obvious why Oriol knew, Twilight and Mister Shade knew for a good reason as well: there was no way Ivan and Sergei wouldn't know… But you've know it ever since niisan became Rock Man EXE?" Netto grumbled before questioning him.

"Yeah! I happened to be snooping around the Science Labs when Hikari – hakase tried to go for it. I was glad of its success, truth to be told. I wouldn't have liked to lose someone important to me, either, if there had been a way to save them somehow." S admitted.

"Hum. I'm flattered."

"What's with that mood? Have I tried to attack you?"

"… Why would you care? Aren't you in league with Silver Arrow, after all, S? Hmmm?" Saito dully told him.

"My, my… What mood. I guess those two girls over there must be about to drive you insane. But I'd rather you prefer that to that other girl named Salome." S teased.

"Hum. What. Is your companion in the club or what?" Saito dully questioned him.

"What? H - chan? No way. H –chan is too humble. She has that tomboy style but she ain't a sadist." S quickly told him.

"So… S, B and H. Curious initials." Netto told him while lifting his eyebrows as if to express mild surprise.

"Heh, heh, heh… By the way… I hope you're not too busy on Saturday: a show is gonna start. But, this time around, I'll be the organizer." S told them all of a sudden.

"A show… So you're gonna end the "suspense" mood and present us with something more solid."

"Oi, oi… You're starting to sound like a guy on his 20s instead of a 13 year-old guy. It doesn't fit you." S sounded surprised.

"Dunno. Nothing impresses me anymore."

"… Huh! Hello, H - chan… Badmouthing you? No! Not at all. I was just trying to clear up that you aren't the sadist type… Oi, oi… Please don't give me that look of yours…" S began to sound like he was speaking with someone else and had forgotten to shut off the micro.

"So. The third one is there." Netto guessed.

"Yep. And it'd seem she's like Meiru – chan: she can give you those glares which intimidate you." Saito lifted his eyebrows in surprise but he wasn't too surprise either.

"… Well! Excuse me!" A distorted girl's voice grumbled.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Competency!"

"More of 'em!"

"What?" Saito wondered.

He found Riva and Roll staring at the possessed Navi with annoyed looks on their faces.

"Ugly!"

"Ugly!"

"Oi, oi… This is just a proxy!" H protested.

"A proxy…?" Both wondered.

"My companion simply hijacks Navi frames to speak with people living _out there_. Gotcha, you two?" H told them.

"Who do ya think ya are?" Both questioned.

"I dunno what this is about, really! I come in to report to my companion that the last machine will be loaded by Saturday and I find him speaking of me at my back. I pick up the micro to protest and now you two show up. It's not like I'm trying to tease this man over here! I'm just defending my dignity! Gotcha?" H sounded rather annoyed.

There was the familiar metallic sound to indicate Morse code message being made.

"… C – O – O – L – O – F – F… Cool Off… Cool it off…" Saito translated while looking amused.

"Che! S! Don't butt in girls' stuff!" H snapped at him.

There was another metallic sound.

"… W – R – O – N – G… Wrong… He's not butting in but trying to cool her off before she accidentally spills something…" Saito looked rather amused by now.

"But what did that person mean by "people living _out there_"? It sounds weird, doesn't it? Like they're foreigners…" Netto wondered.

"… Dunno. But… Maybe they're in an underground spot somewhere and they don't come out too much, so they name us the "people living _out there_"… Whaddya think of it, otouto?" Saito suggested.

"Hmmm! I'm about to pull your ears at this rate and make you step down from that black onyx throne!" H was telling S.

"Black onyx throne… So that's the object which S hits with something metallic to make the Morse messages. Then he ain't a "bureaucrat": he's the leader of something." Netto guessed.

"Chut. Another message… L – A – T – E – R… Later… He wants to settle it later after they go off-air, huh?" Saito smiled.

There was a small sound like the microphone switched hands.

"You'll have to excuse H - chan. She can have some temper from time to time. By the way… She wasn't trying to steal your person of interest over here. But I'm afraid I'll be prosecuted by patenting "Sunian" sans your permission. Heh, heh, heh…" S told them while sounding amused.

"_BAKA~_!" Both yelled at him.

"W-whoa! Me? _Baka_? Did ya two just say that? Do you have any idea of the struggle I went through during _five eternal years_ to make up the "R – Program"? Huh? HUH?" S began to sound like he was getting angry, for once.

"Five years… Then you completed it in 2001? No. The code looked older than that… Then… You mean the period from 1991 to 1996… So we calculated wrong: you finished middle school in 1991." Saito deduced from it.

"Che! Whatever! One day you shall regret laughing at my face!"

There was a series of beeps on the background.

"… Another Morse message… "Q – U – I – T"… Quit… H is telling him to quit it, huh?" Saito smiled.

"Grjtfx! I need to cool off until Saturday. Farewell!" S grumbled.

"So… Saturday… The day after tomorrow…" Saito muttered.

"We'll see this guy's true colors…!" Netto muttered next with a hint of eagerness.

13:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Good show, you two."

"Sir!"

"Eh… We are honored."

"Heh, heh, heh."

Ivan and Sergei had gotten another "visit" from S and they looked as nervous as they did whenever he showed up.

"Anyway… The real show begins on Saturday. We'll be the focus of attention, so go ahead with that project of yours, whatever it is." S told them.

"Yes, sir… As you suggest, sir…" Ivan nervously replied.

"We shall… Use the opportunity Sir provides us with." Sergei nervously improvised.

"Good enough. I'm off to arrange for popcorn and drinks. Bye – bye." S told them with a hint of amusement.

They both sighed in relief but soon grinned again.

"Heh. S – sama will be able to keep them busy while we work on our project." Ivan grinned.

"Heh. Cousin Saito… Your long wait is coming to an end. Enjoy S – sama's VIP treatment… And let's see if you can survive it." Sergei made a sinister smile.

"Hmpf. Cousin Netto… A new world awaits you. But you will need to use all of your skills just to survive it."

He picked a piece of paper and wrote the title "Dark World" on it: he then colored it with a purple marker as if to emphasize its meaning and also added a purple skull above the name.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h!"


	16. Chapter 16: Black hole area

**Chapter 16: Black Hole Area**

08:18 AM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 2nd…

"… And, thus… Given the results of the run configuration lookup… We found out that the VLANs were badly configured and this was why the Switch device couldn't communicate with the FTP Server…"

"Anyone can make a slip: it wasn't much of a hassle, either."

"Hikari – hakase! Meijin – san!"

Obihiro ran into the main room of the Science Labs while looking out of breath: Dr. Hikari and Meijin looked at him.

"Shun – kun… _San wa iranai_!" Meijin told him.

"What's up, Shun – kun? It's just 8:20 AM and you look nervous." Dr. Hikari commented.

"I have found out the result of the energy theft incidents!" He excitedly announced.

"What? But didn't "S" just use it to load into some machines?" Dr. Hikari frowned.

"Yeah! But I've realized why we were unable to track them. Please come with me!"

"It is important." Hunter Man added.

Both adults followed Obihiro into a small office room: several papers and pencils were laid on top of a desk along with a black laptop: there were several graphs which kept on climbing being displayed there.

"I'm going to bring out live footage: it started exactly at midnight in Hokkaido. And this is the result, eight hours later." Obihiro announced as he typed into its keyboard.

He pressed the "RETURN" key and a video began to play in full-screen mode: it displayed a _gigantic black hole_ somewhere in the Cyber World which kept on swirling.

"By all the…!" Both adults asked.

"There's no way to analyze what's inside of it. But, this is, for all intents and purposes, a Time Space distortion: a gateway to another Time Space, even."

"Then… S does have a Cyber World base in a different Time Space which must be invisible and impossible to find under normal circumstances… But the amassing of energy allowed some stability to it and to open a gateway linking both Time-Spaces…" Dr. Hikari quickly deduced.

"What should we do, Hikari – hakase?" Meijin asked.

"One or two is dangerous. We must assemble all of the previous "Duo's Crest" owners." Dr. Hikari suggested.

"Should we call in someone else to make up for the missing Barrel Tai - sa and Colonel?" Meijin suggested.

"Yeah. Dr. Regal and Laser Man will do fine." Dr. Hikari replied.

"I'll try to pick up all info I can. But its current diameter is already five kilometers wide. And that was in only eight hours… At this rate… It'll become fifteen kilometers by midnight."

"… Man. Totem – sama keeps on punishing me."

"Quit it, Dingo."

"Heh, heh, heh…"

Dingo looked depressed as he helped to open the Maha Ichiban restaurant and unloaded stuff from a delivery van: Wily happened to heading towards the door and he looked amused at Dingo's comment.

"Grjftx!" Dekao grumbled.

"Not again…" Maha Jarama looked exasperated.

"Oi! Dekao! Behave!" Hinoken told him.

"Master…! The world is cruel with me!" Dekao dramatized while trying to look like he was the victim.

"Tee, heh, heh." Madoi giggled.

"And you'll say _shocking_ next: I knew it! _By George_!" Count Elec grumbled with some annoyance.

Dingo's PET beeped and he looked at it.

"What? I'm supposed to head off to the Science Labs?" He frowned and looked perplexed.

"It'd seem we're supposed to assemble all former "Duo's Crest" holders… I dunno who will fit the 13th place, though…" Tomahawk Man told him before frowning.

"I'll do! It's obvious that they need a fearless man like Ooyama Dekao – sama and Guts Man!" Dekao boasted.

"Oh. Dr. Regal and Laser Man fill that place. Good. Then we're all set up. Let's go, Dingo." Tomahawk Man announced.

"What! Why? I wanna have a thrill!" Dekao protested.

"Sorry. But Guts Man is obviously inferior to Laser Man when it comes to battle potential." Tomahawk Man told him.

"Go, Dingo. I'll cover you." Hinoken announced.

"_Thank you_, Hinoken! See ya!"

"Not fair!" Dekao growled.

"Shut your trap and do something useful, Dekao!" Maha told him with some annoyance.

"Master! I beg of you!" Dekao begged.

"No! I don't have authorization for that. Get to the work!"

Dekao kept on protesting while the four "WWW" members sighed in defeat at his stubborn attitude.

"… Hmmm… We gather the group again… Last time around we grouped a lot of us to deal with the "Super Cybeast"..."

"Yeah. But it looks like this time around, the incident is Cyber World – based. It must be a big deal."

Miyabi and Yuriko had met up in the public park and were talking: Miyabi looked intrigued while Yuriko was serious.

"Luckily, the thugs are already wrapped up, so… We can be at ease. Prism Man will be taking care of security." Shadow Man announced.

"Shah, shah, shah! I'm so gonna slice and dice some thugs!" Needle Man grinned.

"Good morning."

Dr. Regal walked in while looking calm.

"Dr. Regal. Good morning." Yuriko greeted.

"Good morning." Miyabi greeted as well.

"You two also got the mail?" Laser Man asked.

"Yeah. The heavenly lords command us." Shadow Man announced.

"Not again with that stuff…" Needle Man rolled his eyes.

"… Oi! Nenji! Move yer legs! We've got work to do!"

"Whoa! This early in the morning…?"

Rokushadama had been working on his fireworks when Napalm Man called out for him.

"Yeah! Move it: they say it's a very important matter!" Napalm Man insisted.

"Okay, Nenjiro!"

"I'M NOT "NENJIRO~"!"

"WHOA! Cool it down, man!"

"… Laika – sama: a mail from the Science Labs has arrived."

"It must be important."

Laika was working on the Sharo Nation Net Police center when Search Man had announced the coming of the mail.

"It is, Laika – sama. We are to group up in Japan." Search Man announced after he read the mail.

"Then go ahead. I'll have to arrange for transport." Laika commanded while looking curious.

"Roger."

"… Ah… Good coffee!"

"Enzan – sama: a mail from the Science Labs."

Enzan had had a cup of coffee and was looking out into the city when Blues called for his attention.

"Mail…? What's up?" Enzan turned serious.

"There are no details. But Commissioner Kifune ordered a meeting of the previous "Crest" owners in the Science Labs. Laser Man will fill for the late Colonel." Blues announced.

"Go on ahead. I'll be going there." Enzan commanded.

"Yes, Enzan – sama."

"… Hmmm… A meeting at the Science Labs… Meddy! You'll have to go on ahead. I guess they'll arrange for transportation." Jasmine told her while looking surprised.

She'd been standing in Cardamon's villa's grounds and tending the plants.

"Okay, Jasmine." Meddy looked amused.

"Tee, heh, heh. I know what you're planning: you want to tease Rock Man again." Jasmine giggled.

"Yeah! It'll be fun." Meddya giggled as well.

"… Princess Pride. We have a communication from the Science Labs: we are to converge in Japan."

"Is that so?"

Pride had been working on some documentation when Knight Man announced the coming of the message.

"Then please arrange for transportation and then head over to the Science Labs. Maybe I'll meet Laika along the way." She giggled.

"Yes, Princess. By your orders!" Knight Man confirmed.

"… Ah… That Jawaii vacation was splendid!"

"Yeah. Splendid, splendid…"

Tesla Magnets stretched and sounded delighted while Airstar looked rather unimpressed.

"Charlie: we've got something to take care of at the Science Labs. All of us are supposed to go there." Gyro Man reported.

"Go on ahead. I don't wanna see that ugly place." Tesla told him while shrugging.

"Oh? And you'll let the competency laugh at ya again?" Airstar grinned and sounded amused.

"… What! The competency wants to plot against me, you say? I won't let them! Magnet Man! Let's go!" Tesla exclaimed as she stood up and looked annoyed.

"Roger, Tesla – sama."

"Take care!" Gauss added.

"Ah! By the way, Father… Try to get me some quality _sushi_ for tonight: I want to have a _cold_ experience." Tesla told him.

"Heh, heh, heh. Leave it to me, Tesla. Take care, Airstar – kun! Watch out for any trouble! Come back before dinner! _Bye_~!" Gauss told him with a smile.

"… Meiru – chan: we've been summoned at the Science Labs. You should get ready to go there."

"Good. And there'll be no parasite to bother us while in there."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. Saito – kun is mine!"

Meiru looked up from her school homework: she was dressed on a pink night gown and had a reddish bath robe on as well: she looked somewhat amused given her smug smile and Roll seemed to be into the same kind of mood as well.

"Parasite! Cha days are coming to a close!" Both exclaimed.

"… Heh, heh, heh… I'm the Supreme Operator! Twilight's monster stood no chance!"

"Ah. Is that so? Then… Did you get to defeat Shade Man, Slur or Duo, even? Hmm?"

"By all the…! Bring it on!"

Netto suddenly sat on his bed while looking sleepy and having a fighting pose: Saito was standing next to him while folding his arms and looking rather unimpressed.

"Huh? It's already morning?" Netto asked as he yawned.

"Yep. And Papa told us that something is going on: we're supposed to assemble at the Science Labs before AM 10:00… I'd rather say you get on the move: AM 08:59." Saito calmly announced

"Huh! Only one hour…? Gotta hurry!"

He jumped off the bed and picked his usual weekend clothes (the orange sleeveless vest, the white shirt and the shorts along with the bandana) and closed himself in the bathroom.

"Heh, heh, heh. Otouto's Mad Dressing Race. Let's see…" Saito muttered with a hint of amusement.

Netto emerged less than five minutes later and ran downstairs.

"… 03:04. He's improving but I guess it's impossible to do it under 2:50, anyway…" Saito muttered with a smile.

He fixed the bed and then headed downstairs while Netto had his breakfast.

"… And ask Papa when he's planning on coming back." Haruka was telling Netto.

"Yeah, I know… But I guess he won't anytime soon." Netto replied.

"Okay. I'll go back inside." Saito shrugged.

He dematerialized and then projected with the hologram: He touched his head and the helmet reformed.

"Okay! I'm going!" Netto announced.

"Take care!"

Netto put on his sneakers and the roller blades to then skate up the streets towards the Science Labs.

"Niisan! What time is it?"

"… AM 09:28. You can make it with a margin of seven minutes at your current speed, Netto – kun." Saito reported.

"Wait. Isn't today a Saturday?" Netto suddenly remembered.

"What? You thought I was hurrying you up because you were going to be late to school?"

"I didn't really catch what you said before expect for the time limit… Can you repeat it?" Netto asked while making an uneasy chuckle.

"Jeez! Go to the Science Labs: something is going on!" Saito summarized with a hint of annoyance.

"Sorry, sorry! I tend to be slow of reflexes when waking up." Netto apologized.

"Then improve it, otouto."

"OK, OK. Guess I gotta hurry or else the _ramen_ will be gone."

"Jeez. It's not like _ramen_ is that important."

09:51 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Okay. Enzan – kun, Meiru – chan, Miyabi, Yuriko, Dr. Regal, Dingo – kun, Nenji – kun, Charlie, President Magnets and Netto are here. Laika – kun, Jasmine and Princess Pride will not come until tomorrow but their Navis are here. Good. Let's begin."

Dr. Hikari had been checking who'd come as they all had sit down on chairs insides of the Science Labs' main room.

"Have a look at this if you may."

He inputted some commands into the computer and displayed live footage of the black hole phenomenon: everyone gasped in surprise and looked surprised.

"What the… The _Naraku_'s entrance!" Shadow Man uttered.

"Very funny." Miyabi drily told him.

"W-what's that?" Netto asked.

"We believe it to be an entrance to a different Time Space: it obviously is the result of synchronizing the machines which stole off the Cyber World's energy. Given how that Time Space must be separated from our Time Space by complicated Physics, they needed a large amount of energy to be projected and open up a physical linking between both of them. There _must_ be something inside. But since I deemed it to be too dangerous for just one or two Navis to go alone, this is why I asked of you to come over here." Dr. Hikari explained.

"How fast does that thing grow?" Tesla asked.

"About 625 meters per every hour: it currently stands at 6.25 kilometers wide… And it keeps on growing. We don't know how deep it really is, though. Radio signals come in and out: normal Operating is possible and so is Chip Transfer. This thing showed up on the Hokkaido Cyber World ten hours ago." Dr. Hikari announced.

"Whoa. 625 meters per hour. It'd quickly overtake any bike." Airstar whistled in surprise.

"A monster…" Yuriko muttered.

"True. Black holes are the Universe's monsters." Dr. Regal added in a calm manner.

"So the mission is to investigate what's inside of it… But how do we enter it?" Enzan guessed before asking.

"There's an invisible road starting at the east end and which ends a kilometer south of the center: there is a noticeable entrance there. We've also received reports of some small Time Space anomalies showing up in some Internet City spots. Some Police Navis are cordoning off those areas while we send a small investigation to check them out." Dr. Hikari announced.

"If there's a road, then it's almost like an invitation…" Search Man commented.

"You guys really have short memory! Didn't I say it two days ago? There was gonna be a show today!"

They gasped and aimed their weapons at a possessed Security Navi who'd crept on them.

"What's that?" Knight Man asked.

"One of S' proxies… Don't attack it: it's been hijacked." Blues replied.

"So that's your base?" Rock Man questioned.

"More or less. You'll find out more once you go there. I bothered to set up a VPN until Hokkaido to save time." S replied.

"It's a challenge, then." Magnet Man guessed.

"Heh! I'm up for anything." Gyro Man grinned.

"Come anytime." S invited.

He released the Navi and the mass escaped through the usual purple vortex.

"Okay! To Hokkaido we go!" Dr. Hikari commanded.

10:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Huh! This thing is really HUGE…!"

The group had assembled several hundred meters away from the black hole's outer edge: some platforms could be seen hovering above it and forming a road which led until a blue swirling vortex about a hundred meters wide.

"Current diameter: 6 kilometers 833 meters." Dr. Hikari announced.

"We're ready for anything. Let's go!" Blues rallied.

They formed a row and quickly walked down the road before they jumped into the blue hole and fell down through a white shaft of light: they seemed to be cutting through several layers of atmosphere tainted purple and black.

"Wow!" Saito exclaimed.

They spotted several clouds moving in a quick manner across the "skies" and looked beneath them: a rocky irregular terrain could be seen growing closer by the second.

"We're arriving." Blues muttered.

They all landed into solid ground: they were standing in the midst of a huge rocky valley which spanned across several square kilometers: several hills and slopes scattered around along with mountain ranges and large boulders.

"Huh… Creepy."

Some wide domes of the same bluish light could be seen scattered around the area: they all had a brown spear with a diamond which was placed in the exact center of the terrain it covered.

"This looks nicer."

The place was totally unlit except for the light domes: howls of wind could be heard blowing across the empty lands, carrying sand and dust around the area.

"… This terrain looks and feels… Real. I mean… It has an incredibly minute level of detail…" Rock Man commented.

He picked a stone and saw that it had signs of wind erosion and dust on it along with an overall irregular shape.

"Yeah. And Hikari – hakase was correct: that blue spot was the entrance to this place." Blues added.

"… Careful. The mere atmosphere is corrosive. This white light is a "safe zone": we can be protected and regain HP inside of them. But the outer atmosphere will drain them at a rate of 5 HP per second. The "safe zones" recharge 1 HP per second. We must take into account our walking speed and the distance between the "safe zones"..." Search Man announced while scanning the terrain.

"5 HP per second! That'd be 300 HP in a minute…! We could be dead in less than five minutes of total exposure…!" Netto gasped.

"It reminds me of radiation, even." Dr. Regal commented.

"Yet… The very air stinks of stagnation. Like… It hasn't been able to renew for a long period of time…" Meddy brought up.

"Wait. Didn't "Spectrum" affect the Time Space? I remember how its failed test drive ended up creating a "bug" sea in the Cyber World of over 20 years ago…" Rock Man brought up.

"So this place was built using "Spectrum" after the Army gave up on it… It must've taken years of work. But since the whole island had been forgotten, then I don't find it odd. And no – one would navigate near military – designed areas." Blues commented.

"I'll praise you, Watson!" A voice boomed out of nowhere.

"S!" Rock Man called out.

"… Don't look for me: I have no need to hijack Navi frames here. Welcome! You may name this place Black Hole Area for the time being if you want to. Unless ya prefer the Absolutely Creepy and Deathly God-Forsaken Land instead…" S announced.

"Black Hole Area… Sounds literal enough…" Tomahawk Man muttered while lifting his eyebrows.

"If you want to… Think of it as an open-ended world! You might pick any path. Yet… Many will be blocked off until certain circumstances are met with. I'll be generous, though! So… Head off to the east until the road turns south: you'll find a new region there. Make sure to not miss any detail! Heh, heh, heh." He told them.

"What should we do?" Laser Man asked.

"We've got no other choice: let's head towards the direction S pointed out for us." Search Man replied.

"Yeah. By the way… Did _that one_ have to come?" Roll shrugged before she asked something with a hint of annoyance.

"Don't look down on me! I was also one of "Duo's Crest" owners' Net Navis." Meddy replied.

"Roll – chan, Meddy – chan… We must stay focused: this place can kill us any second if we don't stay sharp." Rock Man told them.

"Fine. We'll settle this later." Roll fumed.

"Hmpf!" Meddy grinned.

"You're not gonna tell me Jasmine is gonna come, too…"

"Oi! I didn't have the idea!" Netto protested.

"My. It reminds me of a movie." Yuriko smiled.

"Okay! Let my tomahawk point the road!" Dingo announced.

"We already know it, runt! There's no need for that!" Rokushadama gasped.

"Are you deaf?" Airstar asked.

"No. He lives in Totem Land!" Tesla laughed.

_Jokes aside… This place is creepy and huge… Where's "S" at?_


	17. Chapter 17: Death Temple

**Chapter 17: Death Temple**

11:09 AM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 2nd…

"... Man! I feel like we've walked more than five kilometers. This place is huge!"

"Yeah. And I'm picking up an odd signature further ahead."

Napalm Man had spoken after almost forty minutes of silence: the group had taken a break inside of one "safe zone" to rest.

"What scenery… I mean… We had to spend half this time walking towards the east from our landing spot until we found a large cargo elevator: it led us downwards into this area labeled "Death Wastes"… It looks like a desert and I can't stop getting the creeps. And we're now heading northwards." Rock Man commented.

"Yeah. It reminds me of the Pharaoh Man incident." Blues admitted.

"… The signature Search Man picked matches that of a large energy mass… In short: it must be a generator to accumulate energy. That's where they stored the stolen energy." Dr. Hikari announced through Rock Man's radio.

"Oi! There's a building ahead!" Gyro Man exclaimed.

They spotted a large and tall building standing a few meters in front of them: it had a round shape and seemed to be hundreds of meters wide and tens of meters tall: there seemed to be one or two openings given the lack of roof in part of its structure.

"Let's go!" Blues rallied.

They ran ahead and stopped in front a large opening with an archway: some degraded fluorescent letters were engraved there.

"Death Temple…" Rock Man muttered as he read them.

"Hmpf. Fitting." Shadow Man muttered.

"Be careful." Knight Man warned.

They crossed the archway and entered a room: a tall wall was built in front of them and had a tall black rectangle with three red-colored round dots connected by white lines set on the center of its height.

"Wow."

Two large and vertical rectangle-shaped glass panels were placed at both left and right of it: the room they were in was shaped like the outer rim of the center circle.

"The outside…" Blues muttered.

They could see a wide circular room with various "safe zones" lying beyond the wall: it was one of the rooms exposed to the outer atmosphere of the whole area.

"… The generator signature is further ahead but we'll have to find a way to open this door." Search Man announced.

"Allow me! Royal Wrecking Ball!"

Knight Man shot the ball at the wall but it bounced off and didn't leave a single scratch on it.

"My, my… The knight seems impatient!" A voice rang out.

"S!" Rock Man grumbled.

"Yep! That's me, yessir. Welcome to the Death Temple. This is your first stop. However! If you want to keep on, then you'll have to find the 3 keys needed to open this door." S told them.

"Where are those?" Blues demanded.

"Don't worry: I was considerate enough to scatter them on some spots of your world instead of this area. I'll let out the hints to find them."

"Hum! Speak!" Magnet Man commanded.

"Ahem, ahem! One: the ruins were Viruses are born at. Two: where the incomplete monster was slain. Three: where you might swim along the fishes. How is that like?" S told them before asking.

"It's something." Blues drily replied.

"Oh. Those portals they have been finding are shortcuts. Use the one in this Temple to go out to Internet City and back." S added.

"At least you were considerate enough to set up those." Laser Man drily told him.

"Heh, heh, heh. _Good luck_."

They heard a noise and a bubble-shaped Time-Space portal opened: it was colored light blue and had a grayish irregular mass set on the middle of its diameter.

"Okay! Back to Internet City we go." Meddy giggled.

"… Let's think: these hints lead to specific spots. Does anyone have any ideas?"

The Navis had returned to the Science Labs while Dr. Hikari was trying to find out the meaning of the riddles.

"…Huff… "Where Viruses are born"… Somewhere where Viruses are created… Factory… Ah! Gospel's Virus Factory below Internet City!" Netto frowned before gasping.

"True! I remember that." Meiru added.

"Good! Netto, Meiru – chan. Head over to the Virus Factory and try to find anything weird." Dr. Hikari told them.

"… "Where the incomplete monster was slain"… Huh… Monster… Incomplete… Beast… The "Super Cybeast"!" Enzan gasped.

"We marked the spot time ago. Enzan – kun! Please head over there." Dr. Hikari nodded in agreement.

"Swimming along with fishes…? Man. I can't think where that's at. My bad, guys." Rokushadama frowned.

"Fish… Water… A river?" Dingo suggested.

"River's don't have Cyber Worlds!" Tomahawk Man grumbled.

"It ain't the sea or the beach, either…" Jasmine frowned.

"A _sushi_ restaurant…?" Miyabi suggested.

"There aren't fishes in fountains…" Yuriko frowned.

"A fisherman's stand…?" Dr. Regal wondered.

"Fisherman… Masa – san? No way…" Netto muttered.

"Maybe Shark Man knows? He's a Water Attribute Navi, after all." Rock Man suggested.

"Wait. When did you firstly meet Shark Man?" Dr. Hikari asked.

"Huh? At the aquarium… The WWW let the robot fishes loose… That was over two years ago…" Netto remembered.

"Aquarium! That's it: the aquarium! There are fishes there and you can swim alongside them!" Meijin exclaimed.

"I'll go. I'm quick." Shadow Man announced.

"Good. The rest of the Navis should go over their battle strategies and Battle Chips. I think a battle awaits us." Dr. Hikari told them.

"Roger!"

"… Tee, heh, heh."

A person walked down a bare stone corridor somewhere which seemed to be inside of the Black Hole Area given the purple fog which floated around the air.

"Tee, heh, heh."

The person carried a black cloak with a heavy hood which had an emblem drawn on the chest: a purple musical note.

"Tee, heh, heh. S will be amused."

The person reached a circular metallic door: its two halves opened and slid away in total silence: they hummed a tune and calmly walked past them while apparently snapping their fingers inside of the sleeves.

"Yo~!"

They stepped into a circular chamber which had no ceiling: one could see a reddish sky which kept on growing and steadily shifting brightness: the room's floor was made of crimson square tiles arranged like a mosaic across it and the walls had some fluorescent patterns drawn into them.

"I came~!"

The only other object in the room was a black onyx throne connected to ground level by three stone steps: the throne was set so that the newcomer couldn't see who was sitting there.

"Hullo." The newcomer announced.

"Ah. H – chan. What's up?" S asked: his voice sounded soft and like it hadn't reached puberty yet.

"They're catching up." H told him.

"Heh. It'd seem it took a little while to guess the third one. Maybe I should make them harder for the next time around." S amusedly commented.

"You should do, S. Anyway… I've got a question for ya." H brought up.

"Oh? Go ahead." S seemed to be amused.

"What would happen if the gateway were to reach a small Internet City or a similar spot?" H asked.

"They'd be "swallowed up" and drawn into the equivalent spot inside of our world. Yet… I would firstly encompass it within a "safe zone" so as to protect the inhabitants of it from our atmosphere. It'd be like being shielded by a "Dimensional Area", see." S exposed.

"Fair enough. I'm off to train for a bit downstairs." H announced while sounding amused.

"Go ahead, my friend." S invited.

"And beware of the mole." H added.

"The mole…? You mean the Chemistry mole?" S asked.

"Who knows?" H teased.

"Heh. Teasing me?" S looked like he was in a good mood.

"Don't worry… I know B has no interest on me and that you're always been my target." H told him.

"… By the way, Papa…"

"What?"

Netto looked up from his Link PET's holographic screen displaying Rock Man running down the Internet City sewers.

"… How are we supposed to make that energy go back where it belongs at? Do we blow up the generator?"

"No. I'm working in a program to allow Saito to siphon and compress the energy within his Navi frame. Then, once he makes it out of it, the energy would be freed up and it would flow across the Cyber World to be retrieved: the black hole's growth rate would diminish as well." Yuuichirou told him.

"Uh… I see." Netto nodded in understanding.

"Look!"

"That must be it!"

Rock Man and Roll ran inside of the destroyed Virus Factory and spotted something out of place: the "something" looked like a floating gyroscope with a crimson jewel set on the center of them: two external rings were continuously spinning back and forth.

"Wow. It looks cool." Meiru whistled in surprise.

"So that's how their keys look like… Niisan! Seize it." Netto muttered before calling out to him.

"Roger."

Rock Man grabbed it and it stopped spinning: Roll looked it with curiosity as well.

"Hikari – hakase. The program is complete." Meijin announced as he ran in and carrying a rewritable CD.

"Oh! Good morning, Meijin – san!" Both greeted.

"… _San wa iranai_." He dully replied.

"Good work, Meijin."

"Thank you, Hikari – hakase."

"Netto! Call Saito back. The program I spoke about is ready and I need to install it into him." Yuuichirou told him.

"Niisan! Come back."

"Come back as well, Roll."

"Roger!"

Both Navis returned into their PETs: the key they'd found hovered on the background of Rock Man's PET screen.

"Here you have, Papa."

"Good. I'll be done ASAP."

Yuuichirou connected the Link PET to a laptop and began to type into it to transfer the program into the Link PET: it looked like a white sphere of light.

"Yikes!" Someone yelped.

They looked at the entrance and saw Obihiro coming in: he had a cup of hot coffee on one hand and he'd stained the other: he was trying to cool it off by blowing into it and shaking it.

"Sorry. I grabbed it in a rush." He admitted.

"Really… You look like Enzan: he's always having coffee." Netto grinned and sounded amused.

"Guess so… Ah! I've been working on a prototype program to help reduce damage inside of the Black Hole Area. But I still have a lot to go."

"That'd be useful! But I guess we'll have to bear with that 5 HP per second ratio for a while yet." Meiru sounded resigned.

_Hmpf. Play around while you still can, "Net Saviors"…!_

"… Water, water and more water… I can't find that bloody key anywhere in this place! And I'm sure this is the right place, too!"

"Maybe a fish swallowed by accident?"

"Damn."

Shadow Man was getting impatient, for once, as he tried to search the tanks containing Cyber Fishes.

"We know the size of them. It must be a big fish and there aren't many in here… Try to see if one of them seems to be acting weird." Miyabi suggested.

"Hmpf. Having to soak myself… That S lowlife must be laughing at my ugly hide." Shadow Man scoffed.

He jumped into the water and swam alongside the fishes until he found one which was spinning upon its own axis.

"That's it. I'll be taking it." He muttered.

He drew the _katana_ and sliced it on half: the key came out and began to sink: Shadow Man caught it with his left hand and then quickly swam upwards until he emerged into the tank's rim.

"Che. This is the last time I do this." He grumbled.

"Oi! You! What did you do?" A voice called out.

A figure loomed over him, so he turned around to see Whale Man: he looked somewhat annoyed.

"The Net Police is in need of this key and that fish swallowed it." He merely told him.

"You could've told me and I'd had it spit it out: there was no need to delete it!" Whale Man grumbled.

"Hmmm… A shark is coming." Shadow Man announced.

Whale Man turned around and Shadow Man used the opportunity to disappear with a cloud of smoke, to Whale Man's annoyance.

"… How is it, Blues?"

"I think I am close, Enzan – sama."

"Good."

Blues was searching the district where the Super Cybeast had been defeated and was standing in front of a tall building: he jumped into its roof and spotted the key.

"There it is, sir."

Suddenly, though, a pool of magma formed and a hand reminiscent of Gate Man's Demon Hand popped out: it grabbed the key and then Flame – Attribute Viruses appeared.

"What?" Blues gasped.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh. That'd been too easy! You guys need to sweat a bit: did you know that?" A familiar voice rang out.

Blues looked at the left to see Sergei standing close by while having a smug smile on his face.

"You lowlife!" He hissed.

"Heh! S – sama told us to do so: he thought this was being way too dull and easy." Sergei announced.

"Damn." Enzan growled.

Sergei snapped his right hand's fingers and warped as the "magma hand" suddenly rammed into Blues and pushed him off the building and into the street.

"Grah! Enzan – sama! Please grant me Water – Attribute Chips!"

"Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball! Slot In!"

The Ice Cannon Ball hit the "monster" and it inflicted heavy damage due to Elemental weakness: it turned into stone and broke down, thus freeing the key but the Viruses surrounded Blues, however.

"Che! Battle Chip, Aka Tsunami Hole! Slot In!"

The red waves disposed of the Viruses and Blues grabbed the key at last while panting.

"Damn. S won't make it easy, then." Enzan grumbled.

"Yeah. Guess so…" Netto commented.

"I shall be coming back." Blues announced.

"… _Lil bro_… That "Magma Hand" was barely worth it. The whole thing didn't even last sixty seconds."

"… Well! What were you expecting, _big bro_? I had to program that in a rush: I was given a very little margin of time!"

Sergei looked disappointed while Ivan was defending himself.

"Oh. I'd forgotten that. It'd been fine if S – sama had warned us with a little bit more of anticipation." Sergei switched moods.

"But remember something: I may be a genius. But I need time to work on those things." Ivan reminded him.

"Sorry. I'll drop it, _lil bro_. But they won't find the Death Temple's name to be in vain, anyway." Sergei grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh… Net Saviors! The Grim Reaper is waiting to claim your souls and drag them into the _Naraku_." Ivan announced.

He typed some commands into the computer and the sound of bells along with the squawk of crows could be heard.

"Delete!" Ivan exclaimed.

"Delete!" Sergei exclaimed next.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"


	18. Chapter 18: The Death Tribe

**Chapter 18: The Death Tribe**

12:13 PM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 2nd…

"… Installation: complete! You can wake up, Saito."

"Hmmm…"

Saito rubbed his eyes and woke up after the installation was complete: he stretched and looked around.

"I don't feel much different." He admitted.

"You're not supposed to, either. Alright! We have the 3 keys. It's time to strike the Death Temple!" Yuuichirou announced.

"Roger!"

"Roger!"

The Navis exited into Internet City and walked down an avenue before entering a side alley: a purple-colored bubble with a grayish mass was set inside of its diameter.

"I'll take point. Let's go!" Blues announced.

He stepped inside of it: the world became absolute blackness surrounded by purple electricity and a crack of light behind him: all of his data was disassembled and shot forward into the blackness.

"Huh!"

He then emerged inside of a "safe zone" placed within the Death Temple's hall room: the bubble was placed behind him.

"Here we are!"

The other Navis followed suit and stood up in front of the imposing gate: Rock Man, Blues and Shadow Man took out their keys which floated out of their hands and assumed their spots in the red circles interconnected by white diagonal lines.

"They fit!" Blues smiled.

They shone and there was the sound of a mechanism turning on: the door split in two and retreated both upwards and downwards: there was a two meter drop into the sand-filled main room's ground.

"Go!" Blues commanded.

They jumped down and looked around: the room had curved walls made of brown stone bricks which were rather degraded and had cracks, slashes and burns into them: the room seemed to be ten meters wide and eight long.

"Wow."

It had no ceiling and was exposed to the atmosphere: there were about four "safe zones" scattered in the four cardinal directions: the opposite end had a two meter tall wall with another identical black slab blocking the entrance into the temple's deepest room: the walls had some cracks and fissures on them.

"Look at the center!"

There was a large brown sphere filled with cracks set on the middle of the room: it was about five meters tall and four wide and a figure was standing on top of it so they gasped.

"… Buruo~! So! You've come! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…! Buruo~!" The figure announced.

The figure jumped from the top of the sphere and landed in front of it while facing the "Net Saviors".

"Heh, heh, heh!"

The enemy was over three meters tall and had a basis which was a two-legged ox and their main color was purple.

His face was shaped like an ox's: his eyes' irises were red in color, three small needles protruded from their forehead, and two horns colored black emerged at the sides: instead of a mouth he had a partial cubical prism protruding out of it with three thin round prisms packed up inside of it: the lower edge was unarmored and exposed.

His chest was big and protruded outwards: partial armor covered the flanks: it had three air outlets and an orange edge while the central body was unarmored and colored purple: a small yellow drawing reminiscent of the Horoscope symbol for "Ox" was set on the middle.

Reddish armor covered the shoulders and his arms' skin was black: his forearms had purple cylinders as armor and some orange triangles were packed in a row along their upper band: their fingers' skin was gray.

The legs were unarmored until the knees where two simple armor plates colored purple and with a white protruding needle had been built at: his feet were shaped like a real ox's too.

"Who are you?" Rock Man demanded.

"Buruo~! Welcome, Net Saviors! My name is Ox Fire DS: leader of the Death Tribe!" He announced.

"…"DS"…?" Meddy asked.

"Buruo~! "Dark Soldier". We are soldiers of the "Dark"!" Ox Fire DS announced to them.

"And where is this "Death Tribe"?" Blues questioned.

"Show up! Warriors!" Ox Fire DS commanded.

The sphere shone and exploded as several more opponents came out of it and aligned to stand in a horizontal row behind Ox Fire DS: all of them had purple and black coloring.

"We are Gemini Spark DS!"

These opponents had a similar design each and the only variations were their armor colors: one was black and the other purple.

Their faces' skin had a dull olive green – like coloring and a faint black and thin line drawing of an electrical current's spectrum shaped like a triangle which formed on the SW and SE corners of their faces and climbed past the nose until they ended slightly beneath the forehead's helmet's armor edge.

Their eyes, nose and mouth were normal enough and their eyes' irises were colored blood red.

Their hair was orange-colored and spread out from behind the helmet in a wild flock manner reaching until the base of their necks.

The helmet's design was peculiar: it had a form seemingly made out of a spheroid's upper half and its main color was gray: the center of it had a drawing which could be interpreted as an arrow pointing downwards which also had two small triangles popping out of the sides: if seen from above and looking from north to south it could be a cutaway silhouette of a tree as well: a golden-colored plain horn formed on the middle of the drawing and aimed upwards.

The ear-pads had two parts: they began as simple gray metallic disks attached half-way between the upper helmet and the sides of the rest of the helmet: then a dome formation sprouted from there and had a small hole cut atop it.

The sides of the helmet included two slightly curved triangles colored orange spanning past the lower jaw by a few centimeters.

Their necks were protected by circular gray bands stacked one atop the other with a total of three plus a wider circle at the base of each guy's neck.

Regarding the chest armor, it could be described as simplistic: the colors of choice was black and purple to tell them apart and the only noticeable things on it were two cavities cut on the center of it shaped after diamonds: they were red on the inside and there was a very thin black line cutting through them spanning half-way across the chest.

Their right and left arms, respectively, were covered by a peculiar golden armor which seemed to reinforce their strength: each guy's shoulder had a soup bowl – like shape along with the cover set over it: a golden horn spread from the center of the cover.

The armor then continued with a slight division drawn half-way the arm located between the shoulder and the elbow.

The elbow segment happened to have a circular piece from which a curved fin aiming towards the shoulder emerged: this elbow armor could be divided in four different segments: the first one was a little piece of golden armor in the form of a circle's lower half.

It was continued by a set of three half-circular metallic bands spreading downwards until the start of the wrist.

A screw bolt's head was set half-way between the lower and upper halves of the elbow armor: a black cross was drawn on it (or rather the grooves where a screw driver would be set at) and a straight black line travelled forward from the eastern edge until the wrist.

The last part of the complicated elbow armor included the aforementioned fin.

A small segment of golden armor covered the little space between the elbow and the wrist.

The wrist and part of the hand were encompassed by one featureless metallic black circle from which his usual five fingers (covered in golden "skin") came out.

The body below the chest armor was rather plain: a central vertical stripe which contained the helmet's pattern towards the end as it reached the waist spot: it was painted gray expect on the outer edges where the color switched to purple and ran down the sides of the body including the inner surface of the legs: the outer surface was colored gray too.

Their peculiar boots began just at the knee's height and had a customized design which looked like some attempt at being "futuristic" for some reason or another and their colors changed between each guy.

The reason why their boots looked peculiar was because they had a descending triangle-shaped ramp running until the ankles and with three golden buttons set in a vertical manner one atop the other near the end of the piece.

The ankles' armor was built in the manner of three purple trapezes set one over the other.

The soil of the boots was also designed to have a trapeze form and painted gray.

Each one was past a meter and sixty in height.

"I am Ophiucus Queen DS!" A third opponent announced.

This adversary could be about two to three meters tall and was clearly of female gender.

Their design seemed to be a snake-human hybrid: their skin was colored black but it had a purple stripe running across its center until it reach the human-like body's waist: green triangles were set at both sides of each segment.

The skin around her eyes was hidden by the forehead helmet's shade but the irises were blood red: the lower face and nose were covered by a thin and transparent pinkish veil.

The helmet's forehead had red armor on it and three vertical stripes running down it: a diamond was drawn on the center and two stripes extended from the sides: purple armor covered the rest of the head's shape.

The waist had an integrated pinkish "U" shaped band with a golden circle there and a small diamond protruding southwards: it had an Oriental feeling to it for some reason.

Their breasts were covered by black _bikini_ – like clothes with a thin greenish outer edge and a purplish band circling the sides and back of that section.

The shoulders had a purplish cover, a green spheroid the outer half of which protruded outwards and three pinkish pyramid-shaped designs running upwards and ending half-way up.

Their arms' skin was black and they had purple gloves on with a small thin ramp extending past the wrists.

Two large cone-shaped objects colored purple with a top metallic needle and lower purple elongated needles were attached behind her.

"I am Libra Balance DS!" A fourth enemy announced.

This new enemy looked like a black statue easily three meters tall as well: their face had no nose and a flattened surface: their mouth looked like it didn't open and their eyes' irises were purple.

Blackish armor partially protected the lower face and upper face but the sides were unarmored: a red metallic arch with a simple rectangular straw emerged from atop the head.

The shoulders looked like domes with their tops set to aim northwards, having four red pieces of armor and three packed round stripes.

The arms were very thin and simplistic and each held a balance with a purplish mass of water and a blackish flame on each: the balances included four spikes coming out beneath them and aiming NW, NE, SW and SE.

The chest armor had a black stripe running across its middle and it then formed two vertical stripes: two round bands signaled the waist and then his lower body began.

This lower body was a solid one piece of armor similar to the pedestal of a statue: the "Libra" symbol was set there along with two black blades on the sides surrounded by bright brown edges which converged into a single line cutting through the lower body.

A small disk came out beneath and had two needles to help it hover centimeters over the ground.

"I am Cygnus Wing DS!" A fifth foe proclaimed.

This new foe was about two meters tall and his design was more "humanoid" compared to Libra Balance DS.

He had partial black armor over his chest which formed a hood in the shape of a swan's head including the eyes and the beak which extended over and past the forehead.

Their skin was bluish in color and purplish bands circled his eyes purple-irises eyes.

The armor had purple edges and included a bluish patch of armor with vertical thin stripes running through it: a small cyan diamond with inner yellow coloring and a red dot was located in the midst of the chest and seemed to be his emblem.

Black armor shielded his forearms along with two extensions which were purplish in color combined with yellow: the hands and arms, by comparison, were unarmored.

The legs were purple in color too including two white patches at the sides of the hips and had two parallel reddish stripes drawing a triangle on their middle inscribed over the ankles: a small yellow dome was set just before the animal-shapes toes formed.

Two black wings with a red stripe separating them into two halves emerged from behind him: the wings had loose feathers on the lower edge.

"I am Wolf Forest DS!" A sixth adversary introduced himself.

Wolf Forest was a "humanoid" design but he had a more wolf-like shape although he did stand on his two feet.

Black metallic armor formed around his neck and drew three slides on its rear heading for his back: the skin color was bluish.

A small shape colored yellow was drawn on an extension of the chest armor which ended before the waist: a thin orange stripe was drawn across the armor just before it ended.

His head was shaped like a wolf's with two spiky ears, ear-pads having claw-like extensions, fierce reddish eyes with purple irises and a black mouth with several teeth.

The shoulders were blue spheroids with an orange band around them, bluish skin for the arms, a bluish forearm and brownish armor for the rest of the hands: four white claws emerged from them.

A needle protruded of the knees while the leg and feet design were rather close to those of the arms and shoulders: the armor began on the knees.

A bluish segmented tail formed behind him too and two slides extended from the rear corners of his body.

"I am Crown Thunder DS!" A seventh enemy announced.

Crown Thunder was somewhat bizarre because he basically was a black body with no features on it save for two black stripes forming "L" shapes and extending from the shoulders, across the torso, and into the waist: a black stripe ran across the waist a small square dot near the navel.

His very face was a skull with a large red crown having yellow bands circling it set over its mass.

His shoulders and arms were segmented and colored golden they the hands had white gloves over them: the legs were thin and simplistic and ended in Oriental – like shoes.

A simplistic greenish coat with a purplish edge which was filled with glowing round dots "hovered" next to the main body.

"I am Cancer Bubble DS! Buku!" An eight foe announced.

Cancer Bubble was the shortest of them, barely a meter and forty tall, but that didn't mean he was weak.

His design was simplistic: his main body color was a dull faded orange color and his head had partial armor over it but left the sides of it exposed: his eyes' irises were purple too and his nose wasn't visible while his mouth retained a normal shape.

Three orange extensions popped out at each side of the head and formed a set which seemed to be there for decoration: two small antennae with capsule-shaped bodies emerged from there too: the upper halves were colored yellow.

The main body had a thin metallic plate with black dots on it set there as protection.

The legs were unarmored until the knees and his boots were colored in two shades of orange: they looked like cylinders with a dome-shaped end to them and very simplistic.

"Good! We've all gathered!"

Nine opponents faced the team of thirteen Net Navis.

"So! You guys work for S." Blues guessed.

"…"S"? Oh. I see. His Majesty is being humble with himself again and not announcing His rank straight away… The one you "Net Saviors" name "S" is our Emperor: Emperor S!" Ox Fire DS announced.

"Whoa. Emperor." Roll whistled in surprise.

"However… His rank was bestowed into His person by us 3 Tribes. He gained the honor after five long years." Ox Fire DS added.

"Yeah. He admitted "having been at it for ten years"." Shadow Man brought up.

"Correct! We have existed during fifteen long years. We have trained in all arts and fought many battles. We go by the ancient _bushido_ tradition _samurai_ held." Ox Fire DS announced.

"… So… You must have been wishing to battle new opponents." Search Man calmly assumed.

"Correct. We fight not because we have been ordered to but because we have chosen such a fate. We shall not hold back. We shall go out with all we have trained during fifteen years. We do not presume. Any result is welcomed. If you wish to access the generator, there shall be no other way around but to confront us." Ox Fire DS announced.

"And where is Emperor S at?" Meddy asked.

"It is too early for you "Net Saviors" to know. His Grace shall announce his location once he deems you "Net Saviors" strong enough to make it towards His throne." Ox Fire DS replied.

"Well then… Let us battle!" Blues announced.

"Warriors! Rejoice! We shall battle new opponents. Let there be a battle to test each party's strength!" Ox Fire DS announced as he turned to look at them.

"HORRAY!"

"Ox Tackle!"

Ox Fire DS rushed forward to try to tackle them.

"Cancer Wave!"

Cancer Bubble DS jumped into the air and formed a purple-colored _tsunami_ which loomed over them.

"Gemini Thunder!"

The two Gemini Spark DS combined their golden armor and produced a large electrical blast.

"Gorgon Eyes!"

Ophiucus Queen DS shot two continuous laser beams from her eyes.

"Fire Shot!"

Libra Balance DS swung the balance with the flame and it flew towards the group.

"Moon Claws!"

Wolf Forest DS swung the air vertically and horizontally and produced six sets of curved energy shapes.

"Rain of Thunder!"

Crown Thunder DS began to perform a dance and thunderbolts rained down around the band.

"Cygnus Dance!"

Cygnus Wing DS lifted his arms and joined them as the assumed a vertical pose: he began to spin upon his axis and shot forward.

The attacks met their targets and the Navis were forced to yield terrain before the "Death Tribe" members stepped back.

"Guess it's our turn… Counterattack!"

"Roger!"

"Kingdom Crusher!"

"Star Breaker Laser!"

"Needle Buster!"

"Aqua Tower!"

"Mega Cannon!"

"Tornado Arm!"

"Mag Missile!"

"Meddy Capsule!"

"Shadow Clone!"

"Satellite Ray!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"Napalm Arm!"

"Tomahawk Swing!"

The opponents dodged or got hit by some of the attacks: they didn't seem to inflict much damage.

"We're sitting ducks like this… Split into groups and get into the other "safe zones"!" Blues growled.

"Roger!"

"Come! "Net Saviors"!" Ox Fire DS challenged.

Rock Man, Blues, Search and Roll formed one group and remained in the south spot: Ox Fire DS, Libra Balance DS and Cancer Bubble DS faced them.

"Let's go!" He rallied.

"Ou!"

Laser Man, Needle Man, Shadow Man and Magnet Man formed another group and picked the east spot: Gemini Spark DS and Ophiucus Queen DS faced them.

"Let's go, Queen!"

"Go, brethren!"

Gyro Man, Tomahawk Man, Napalm Man and Meddy formed a third group and picked the west spot: Wolf Forest DS and Crown Thunder DS faced them.

"Ready, Crown?"

"Ready, Wolf!"

Lastly, Knight Man picked the north spot and faced Cygnus Wing DS in a one-in-one battle.

"Let's go!"

"Guys: time to bring out the heavy guns!" Enzan announced.

"Roger!"

"Coming?" Ox Fire DS wondered aloud.

"… Rock Man! Program Advance! Cannon, Hi Cannon, Mega Cannon! Slot In!" Netto commanded.

"Zeta Cannon!"

"Blues! Program Advance! Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Dream Sword!"

"… Search Man! Program Advance! Vulcan, Triple Slot In!" Laika commanded.

"Mugen Vulcan!"

"GO!"

"Coming!"

The three Program Advances shot at the same time and hit the opponents, who had to shield themselves: they seemed to be endure most of its power but they began to get some wounds and part of their data faded away.

"Uh…! The famous Program Advances… Powerful!" Ox Fire DS muttered with a hint of surprise.

"Roll! Program Advance! Yo-yo, Triple Slot In!" Meiru commanded.

"Yo-yo Blade!"

"Needle Man! Program Advance! Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!" Yuriko commanded next.

"Giga Cannon!"

"Shadow Man! Program Advance! Fire, Elec, Aqua, Bamboo Sword! Slot In!" Miyabi announced.

"Elemental Sword!"

The other three Program Advances inflicted heavy damage to another group of enemies.

"Cross Laser!"

"Tomahawk Rolling!"

"Medical Attack!"

"Napalm Bomb!"

"Tornado Arm!"

"Mag Ball!"

"Royal Wrecking Ball!"

These combined attacks focused on more than one opponent at the same time inflicted damage to the warriors.

"Ugh… Fight back! Warriors!" Ox Fire DS announced after the barrage had ceased and he looked up.

"Roger!"

"Ox Tackle!"

"Cancer Wave!"

"Gemini Thunder!"

"Gorgon Eyes!"

"Fire Shot!"

"Moon Claws!"

"Rain of Thunder!"

"Cygnus Dance!"

The "Net Saviors" were hit by some attacks and dodged others.

"Battle Chip, Energy Bomb! Slot In!" Netto announced.

"Battle Chip, Triple Bomb! Slot In!" Laika announced.

"Star Breaker Laser!"

"Vulcan Arm!"

The four attacks bombarded a large portion of the battle field and some of the warriors were deleted by them.

"Weird… I mean… I thought they would be harder to beat…" Rock Man frowned.

"Heh… So we thought… Yet… It'd seem that… despite our yearly updates to our code… your power surpasses… what we knew… You guys' true power… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" Ox Fire DS admitted between pants.

"… Huff… Huff… But you guys' power… is nothing to be… taken lightly… at all…" Blues admitted between pants.

Rock Man looked around: most of the opponents had been deleted and some of their comrades had wounds on them which they were trying to heal.

"… Just _what_ is this world? Did "Spectrum" create it?" Rock Man asked.

"Hah… True…! "Spectrum"…! That's where all began! But… That's as far as I'll talk. The tragic story of this place… only Emperor S can tell it to you "Net Saviors"…" Ox Fire DS let out a weak chuckle.

"But how do we find him inside of such a gigantic world?" Blues asked of him.

"There's no need to do search for His Grace…! He shall… announce his location… if you can… survive… what lies ahead… We fought… with everything… yet… we didn't win… But…! We rejoice… at having battled a new opponent…! We hold no regrets… We shall pass into the Afterworld…! Farewell…! Net Saviors…!" Ox Fire DS announced.

He was deleted and the only thing left in the arena was several clusters of data floating around.

"That data cluster… It matches the technology used to program those "Guardian" units. They belonged to this place, then. It certainly looks wide enough to accommodate any of them." Search Man commented.

"Yeah… And we were right: "Spectrum" is the root of this whole affair. But we're far from over: we've barely begun." Rock Man added.

"Those who feel tired or need some check-up… Go back to the Science Labs via the exit we know of. We will take care of securing the generator in this temple." Blues told the group.

"Roger."

Blues, Rock Man and Search Man stayed behind while the rest of the group departed the arena. Some stone steps appeared on the other end of the room and they connected to the far wall: the black slab opened, revealing a brick-built corridor which led further into the building.

"That must lead to the generator." Netto guessed.

"Take point." Enzan told him.

"We'll back up just in case." Laika added.

The three Navis walked down the corridor and entered a big circular room at the end of it: it didn't have ceiling, either.

"Look!" Rock Man pointed.

"Whoa."

There was a machine set at the end of the room which had two distinct components.

The first one was a metallic sphere surrounded by four curved thin steel beams and glued to the ground: some wires and circuitry spread from its base and merged with the metallic ground.

The second component was a hexagon-shaped container holding a red sphere of energy which shot a beam of red energy outwards from a side-hole.

The beam of energy reached a kind of circle with a device which shot it towards the west.

"Wow. This is the most impressive generator I've ever seen." Yuuichirou admitted.

"It seems to be feeding energy to another generator located west of the Death Temple… Maybe they're interlinked?" Rock Man suggested.

"Yeah. They must be feeding the central generator which must be the one with enough power to make the black hole grow. And I guess Emperor S must be waiting there." Meijin replied.

"These generators must be backups, then… They firstly booted these up and then began to feed the central one." Laika deduced.

"I'll try to draw the energy… Let's see."

Rock Man walked towards a small device which was a small cylinder connected to the ground's circuitry.

"Maybe this will do?" He wondered.

"It'd seem so. Try connecting the Rock Buster to it, Saito."

"Roger."

Rock Man took out the Rock Buster and inserted it into the device: The sphere of energy began to diminish and Rock Man's body shone with yellowish light.

"W-whoa! I'm absorbing the energy!" He gasped.

The sphere reduced in size until there was a flash and it vanished: the sky turned blood red immediately enough.

"Whoa. I feel this energy flowing inside of me." Rock Man whistled in surprise.

"This should slow down the black hole's growth ratio… But we won't know how much until at least a full hour passes." Yuuichirou told them.

"Heh, heh, heh… Good work! To think you bested my old companions, the Death Tribe… You might be better than I thought!" A familiar man's voice boomed out of nowhere.

"Emperor S!" Rock Man called out.

"… Oh. True, true. Go ahead and call me like that when you're in the mood. Ah… I spent five long years with 'em…" Emperor S sounded like he was reminiscing.

"Five long years… What happened during those "five years", then?" Blues questioned.

"The full story needs to wait. Go ahead and rest for a while: you'll need it if you wanna survive the next round." Emperor S replied.

"I won't deny that… But we now score 1 to 0!" Netto told him.

"Soccer, huh… I was never good at it. My bad." Emperor S muttered with a hint of resignation.

"Heh, heh, heh!" Netto chuckled.

"… But! Have you guys heard the motto "he who laughs last laughs better"…?" Emperor S told them next.

"Che." Netto grumbled.

"Amusing." Emperor S muttered with a hint of amusement.

"Let's go back: I don't wanna spend more time 'ere." Rock Man told them.

"Come back anytime." Emperor S invited.

"… Phew! I'm beaten."

"Yeah. I feel the same way."

"And this was _one_ Temple. And there _another two_ left."

Rock Man, Blues and Search Man made it back to the Science Labs and looked exhausted.

"Saito! Go ahead and release the energy. The energy system management company will redirect it to the necessary spots." Yuuichirou instructed.

"How do I do that?" Rock Man asked.

"Act like you're gonna use a Charge Shot." Yuuichirou replied.

"Okay! Charge Shot!"

Rock Man drew the Rock Buster and aimed it ahead towards an empty spot: a yellow sphere of energy began to glow there until it became bigger than him: it made a bright flash and then shot out towards the horizon while "riding" across the circuitry patterns on the floor.

"Whoa! True! I released it all."

"Good job." Forte suddenly walked in and sounded content.

"Ah. Forte. Are you going deal with Silver Arrow?" Rock Man asked.

"Yeah. Leave it to me, Saito. I'll be on the lookout." Forte replied.

"_Thank you_, Forte! Okay! Let's go to Maha Ichiban's: I need a good Maha Special!" Netto announced.

"Maybe Dr. Wily made up a new intriguing challenge." Miyabi announced.

"Heh, heh, heh!"


	19. Chapter 19: Bog Temple

**Chapter 19: Bog Temple**

15:02 PM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 2nd…

"… The black hole's growth ration has gone down by 100 meters. We estimate the other two generators to contribute 100 meters as well. Thus, the remaining 300 is the sum of all of them. The black hole currently grows at 525 meters per hour."

The group had assembled back after lunch that same afternoon.

"But I've got good news: the "Dark Armor" is complete!" Obihiro added with a broad smile.

"Whoa. What does it do?" Netto asked.

"It'll cut down the damage ratio: it'll become 1 HP per second. This way, you'll lose at the same rate you regain and you will be able to afford longer exposures."

"This purple sphere is the program in question?" Gyro Man asked.

He and the other Navis were being handed a small purple sphere by Hunter Man: he drew them from a data cube.

"Yeah. Install them: they won't have any noticeable changes from the outside, but you'll make good use of it." Hunter Man replied.

"Directions: enter through the main entrance and head west the whole time: ignore the crossing you'll find since you're not equipped to open the doorway there." A familiar voice told them.

They spotted a "possessed" Navi standing there.

"West this time around…" Magnet Man muttered.

"Yep, Magnet Man. There's no way to get lost. And you'll find a nicer region as well. Heh, heh, heh." Emperor S chuckled.

"Hra~h!"

There was an explosion sound on the other side of the line and everyone looked surprised.

"Boo." A voice announced.

"What! B! You scared me!" Emperor S protested: he'd forgotten to switch off the mike.

"I wanted to tease our audience. And you're still on air in case you had forgotten." B told him with a hint of amusement.

"Excuse B. He has some weird humor from time to time. I guess his old companions passed it onto him." Emperor S apologized.

"So… Each of you lived in a separate region before heading off to the central region?" Nenji asked.

"Yep. Correct. But I'm not going to leak out whose former region you guys will be visiting. I'll only let out that Andromeda was the Death Temple's Guardian." Emperor S replied.

"So! We're pending finding out the temples of Ra Mu and Crimson Dragon… But you're hinting that the 3rd temple is towards the north or further south than the entrance spot." Blues told him.

"Yeah, _Buruusu_. Oh. True, true… Roll – san! The competency might be hidden under a bloodstained curtain." Emperor S announced.

"Yikes! A bloodstained curtain…?" Roll gasped.

"Bloodstained curtain…?" Meddy wondered.

"Heh, heh, heh. _Good luck_. And, by the way, B… Please don't do that again." Emperor S told them before addressing his companion.

"Heh, heh, heh. Gotcha, Snake." B joked.

"Oi. I'm not "Snake"." Emperor S protested.

"Oh. But you're sneaky." B laughed.

"Ophiucus Queen is the snake!" Emperor S insisted.

"Heh. But the secret agent is a guy, so…" B trailed off.

"Huh. I'll settle this off-air. _Bye_!"

15:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Sneaky sneaking sneaks!"

Another cloaked figure was standing next to the throne: they looked about a meter and sixty tall like the other one.

The emblem drawn on its chest was curious: they were two Alphabet "S" letters with a slight inclined segment originating at the end of it.

Both were colored purple and set parallel to each other: a small vertical rectangle was placed in the space between the start of each symbol.

"… For the last time! I'm not _Solid Snake_!" Emperor S exasperatedly told the visitor.

"Heh, heh, heh. Then you're Secret Man." B teased.

"No!" Emperor S corrected.

"Sorry. I forgot: you're Emperor Solomon of Babylonia." B teased next with a small chuckle.

"Grftjx! Please quit it already!" Emperor S told him.

"Oh. But then you'd be quarreling with Super Man 'cause his symbol is the S letter, too." B announced.

"My symbol ain't the S letter: it's just my initial!" Emperor S protested.

"Jeez. B! Why don't you leave S in peace? He has enough hard time coming up with the keys' riddles and locations!" H protested as she stepped in.

"Sorry, H – chan. I didn't want to involve ya." B told him.

"Look at cha: B could mean that you are from Brussels, from Belgium or from Barcelona." H teased with a giggle.

"Very funny." B drily told her.

"Oi, oi… Don't quarrel!" Emperor S protested.

"Tee, heh, heh. This is gonna be the Eternal Debate." H giggled.

15:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… _Qué rábanos quiere?_"

("What the heck do you want?")

"_Estoy buscando delectados."_

("I'm looking for delectados.")

"_Delectados! Hace treinta años que no hacemos delectados._"

("Delectados! We haven't made any of those for about thirty years.")

"_Hable con su jefe. Soy de la Universal Exports_."

("Talk to your boss. I'm from Universal Exports.")

"_Oye! Raúl! Aquí hay un tipo que está buscando delectados! De la Universal Exports… Vale! __Venga conmigo!_"

("Hey! Raúl! Here's a fellow looking for delectados! From Universal Exports… Okay! Come with me!")

"… Okay. Showtime is over, Sgt. Sneaky. What do you want?"

Janus leant backwards on the chair inside of the office room after speaking in Spanish with someone over a phone.

"… When I do get back to work? There's nothing to do in California." Sgt. Sneaky told him.

"I told you: they saw your face and they know who you are. I can't risk your capture." Janus replied in a dull tone of voice.

"Aw! Man! You have no sense of thrill!" Fidel complained.

"Why don't you go and look around for a _habano_? Soon they'll become but museum pieces at his rate. You'd better hurry." Janus sarcastically suggested.

"You're not fooling me, Mr. Janus! Camouflage Man is the best spy you could hope to find! He will find out what those Net Saviors are up to ASAP!" Fidel boasted.

"I don't need your Net Navi. I placed an insider in a key post time ago: I'm always some steps ahead." Janus replied.

"Aw! Man!" Fidel sounded disappointed.

"Complain all you want, Sgt. Sneaky. But I'm not gonna move a finger about you. Pray to Kami – sama." Janus stated.

"Why, you…!" Fidel cursed.

"Me? I'm a jerk. I knew that." Janus replied.

"Argh!" Fidel scowled.

"If you don't have anything serious to say at all, why don't you get lost? By the way… I will change my number, so don't hope to contact me again. Farewell, _Sargento _Fidel Sneaky."

Janus placed the receiver back on its place and sighed: he inclined the chair backwards and disengaged the holographic disguise.

"Che. One guy I regret hiring…" Ivan muttered.

"Is your newest "original idea" progressing, _lil bro_?" Sergei asked with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah. This one will make them experience a nightmare, _big bro_." Ivan switched moods and looked amused.

"Heh, heh, heh. Then let's put the finishing touches to it." Sergei chuckled and looked eager.

Ivan resumed typing into the computer while Sergei checked some notes as he hummed the _Imperial March_ tune.

"By the way! Have you made it past the 6th gym in _Diamond_? I'm at the 7th by now." Sergei brought up.

"Yeah. I did a few minutes ago. I'm eager to check out the other two gyms: they gotta be cool stuff too. Heh, heh, heh, heh." Ivan chuckled and looked at Sergei.

"Sure thing. Let's have some fun!"

12:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Whoa. What a panorama."

"And they call this "Venus' Lagoon"… Whoever named the regions was fond of sarcasm."

"Obviously."

The "Net Saviors" were standing at the edge of a rainforest's lagoon and incredibly large trees which seemed to be centuries old: some of their roots were so great that they blocked off whole pathways.

"What trees!"

Blues and Rock Man had been commenting as the rest of the group came out of the open elevator platform and reunited: there was a small pathway which led into a tunnel cut across one of those gigantic trees on the other side of the small lagoon.

"I can detect that those trees are so thick that our normal weapons won't get to damage them. We will have to take this into mind." Search Man announced after scanning them.

"I wouldn't want to hurt them, anyway." Tomahawk Man admitted.

There was a rumble and purple-tinted rain began to fall down around them along with thunders.

"Whoa. There's even rain." Gyro Man whistled in surprise.

"It'd seem this water is designed to evaporate by a small percentage, condense and rain. It's a closed loop." Search Man announced.

"Is everyone ready?" Blues asked the group.

"Yeah!"

"Go!"

They began their expedition and walked across the tunnel into another lagoon, larger than the first one: a rusted and decadent-looking suspension bridge crossed it from about five meters into the air.

"Don't worry. Its structural integrity is at 90.10%... It's resistant enough to bear us, but… I'd prefer to go by groups." Search Man announced before making a suggestion.

"Yeah. I think that's wiser." Tomahawk Man agreed on it.

They crossed over the bridge and reached a collapsed passageway: another had been opened to the left of it: the left one looked more recent than the right one.

"It looks like the left one dates as recently as four years ago. The other one has lost structural integrity because the tree's roots have broken the solidity of the concrete." Search Man announced.

"The more we see, the more this place amazes me. This attention to minimal details and these landscapes which not even our technology can recreate… And we're talking about a world fifteen years old! It'd seem that whoever built this whole world used "Spectrum" somehow to transform real sceneries into cybernetic data and then interlinked them to create this…" Rock Man commented with obvious awe.

"Yeah. I get that same vibe, too." Netto admitted.

"Let's continue. The 2nd Temple is close by given how the generator's signature has increased in intensity." Search Man announced to the group of Net Saviors.

They walked down the corridor and reached a partly ruined archway with the words "Bog Temple" painted on its surface.

"Fitting." Shadow Man muttered.

The entrance room was different this time: there was a hole up in the ceiling which was protected by a barrier and there also was an elevator platform which didn't seem to be working: three empty slots nearby said it all: they needed to find another set of three keys.

"So this is the entrance…" Gyro Man muttered.

"Entrance to the turf…" Shadow Man inwardly chuckled at his own improvised joke.

The only other decoration was the roots of a gigantic tree which seemingly grew close by and some water: there was an opening between the roots and one of those blue portals could be seen shining in there.

"Welcome! You made it to the Bog Temple." Emperor S announced.

"And, this time, we've thought of one clue each one. Here goes mine: where the 30-hater used to live at." H announced next.

"Mine is this: where Demons and Neophytes work at." B announced with a hint of amusement.

"The last one is this: where the ice went berserk because of the color and there was no more water." Emperor S announced last.

"Very original." Knight Man drily told them.

"Tee, heh, heh. _No pain, no gain_!" H giggled.

"Yeah. You guys will have to sweat to gain the reward." B added with a hint of amusement.

"And I'm sure you'll find an interesting one somewhere." Emperor S enigmatically announced.

"Anyway… Let's go back to the Science Labs." Blues told the group.

"We're gonna find those keys and laugh at ya, gramps!" Tomahawk Man grinned.

"Grjtxf! Quit it!" Emperor S grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh!" Tomahawk Man chuckled.

"… Let's try to think. The clues mean specific spots. We should start by trying to pick off the key words and trying to see if they match any place we know of."

A briefing had been formed to discuss the hints: a clock nearby read 12:51 PM as well.

"Hmmm… 30-hater… Doesn't that ring a bell, Nenjiro?" Rokushadama frowned and seemed to be thinking.

"Hah! You're gonna get a headache from thinkin' so much!" Napalm Man laughed.

"Wha~t?"

"Did you say 30? How dare you! I'm not even 30 yet!" Tesla suddenly exclaimed as she banged the desk.

"Gotcha. The _charming girl_ meant you, Tesla. And that place is the "Neo WWW" HQ skyscraper."

"Well. Now that I think about it… There's some stuff I'd like to check out there. Let's go, Charlie!" Tesla muttered before announcing.

She pulled his right ear and dragged him out of the briefing room to everyone's surprise.

"Let those two handle it. Anyway… What's a "neophyte"?" Netto shrugged before asking.

"Neophyte… It usually stands for someone in a tribe who has completed the initiation rites and is ready for live battle… It'd be more or less like a disciple who has learnt all he had to learn from a master… You know: someone like a Jedi Knight! They get that rank once it's proven they've learned enough." Saito suggested.

"Demons… A disciple who's graduated after training… The place they work at…" Netto frowned.

"Netto – kun! It's a call from Dekao – kun."

"Dekao? What does he want now?" Netto frowned.

He pressed the "REPLY" button and Dekao showed up onscreen.

"Netto! Don't screw around!" He told him.

"I didn't do anything." Netto replied.

"Oh? So says the man! Then how did this weird "key" thing show up here out of nowhere?" Dekao grumbled.

"Key! I see! They meant Maha Ichiban's!" Meiru exclaimed.

"O~h! I'm hearing my Meiru – chan's voice!" Dekao sounded like he was daydreaming.

"Dekao!" Maha called out.

"Yikes!"

"You left the kitchen half-cleaned! Finish up the job!" Maha told him.

"Roll! Head to Maha Ichiban's and pick up the key." Meiru instructed with a smile.

"O. K.! Leave it to me!" Roll confirmed.

"We're missing one." Enzan muttered.

"Water, ice, color…" Blues listed the key words.

"Tee, heh, heh! Guts Man! Ya dream too much!" Colored Man told him with a giggle.

"Guts, guts! Wanna challenged Guts Man – sama, de guts?" Guts Man challenged.

"Colored Man… Wait… ice… Ice Man? Ice Man and Colored Man… No water… Oh! That's what it means! The first time I met Tooru – kun and Ice Man it was when Colored Man forced them to cut off the city's water supply by freezing it!" Netto frowned and suddenly recalled.

"This one forced us to think for a while. And I don't wanna know how the next ones are gonna be like." Saito rolled his eyes.

"Anyway… Go to the Waterworks: Ice Man's gotta be there. You might be able to find it with his help." Netto told him.

"I smell Sergei will be there. Blues! Go along him." Enzan muttered before commanding Blues.

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

"We're going, Netto – kun!"

"Be careful, niisan!"

13:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Huh? Fishy! Some rooms show signs of recent habitation. And it wasn't just one person: it looks like _three_ persons were here."

"How uncivilized! Stepping here sans _my_ permission…! I'll have their heads on silver platters!"

Airstar and Tesla were going over the Neo WWW building and were inspecting the rooms of the 55th floor: almost all other floors above this one had been destroyed time ago: this room had three _futon_ set on it and some signs of habitation like empty ready-to-eat _curry_ rice or some takeaway cardboard boxes.

"Tesla – sama. I have secured the key." Magnet Man announced.

"And we've found logs of three Net Navis logging in and out from time to time, too." Gyro Man added.

"… But that should've been invalidated! I mean… He purposely tripped him! That referee was bribed: I'm sure of it!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was the case. Professional soccer is degenerating."

"Ho, ho, ho! Who cares about that? My new script is perfect: those guys will live in the _Pink World_!"

Three voices could be heard coming close: both Airstar and Tesla gasped and looked at the door.

"Those voices…!" Airstar muttered.

Sunayama, Saiko and Narcy stepped in while carrying takeaway boxes and juice cans: they stopped dead on their tracks.

"M-Ms. P-President!" They gasped.

"Narcy, Sunayama and Saiko. I'd never guessed you'd be lingering around here." Tesla told them.

"Charlie Airstar!" Sunayama gasped.

"So! Mr. Serial thief! We meet again, it'd seem!"

"Che." Sunayama grumbled.

"Damn. The desert maniac..." Gyro Man cursed.

"Guo~h… You shall wander across my desert forever…" Desert Man announced.

"Hmpf." Flash Man folded his arms.

"Interesting!" Video Man grinned.

"Let's go, Charlie!" Tesla told him.

"O-oi, Tesla! But…!"

Tesla pulled his right ear and dragged him out to the ex-Neo WWW members' surprise.

"Ms. President seems to keep her usual mood." Saiko muttered.

"Y-yeah… Guess so…" Narcy muttered.

"I can't believe she finds such a man worth her time." Sunayama muttered.

"Oi! Narcy. We should move out: they might tell the Net Police." Video Man suggested.

"Hmpf. Let them come: I'll hypnotize them." Flash Man announced.

"Guo~h… Let them be exiled into the Sahara Desert…" Desert Man added with a chuckle.

"… Guts, guts! Roll – chan! Guts Man has the key, guts!"

"Good!"

Roll had come to visit Guts Man and he handed over the key: Roll caught it and then made a malicious grin.

"By the way! Aki – chan needs your help!" Roll suddenly told him.

"O~h! Gutsu~! AKI – CHA~N, GUTS!" Guts Man exclaimed.

"… A key, desu…? Huh… No. I haven't seen anything weird, desu…"

"Maybe it's at the bottom of a pool?"

"Maybe, desu…"

Rock Man and Blues were talking with Ice Man in the Waterworks and he was frowning.

"Oh. But a strange object appeared on the north tank, desu." Ice Man suddenly recalled.

"That's the key." Blues announced.

"Please lead us there, Ice Man." Rock Man requested.

"Okay, desu! Follow me, desu!"

They followed him until they reached the catwalks set above a tank to monitor it: the key was spinning in the center of its surface.

"Gru~rgh…"

Suddenly, though, some purple-colored tentacles came out of the water and coiled around the catwalks, tugging them and managing to break them, making the key fall into the water.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!" A familiar voice exclaimed.

They gasped and looked at a nearby server's tower: Sergei was standing atop it and looking amused.

"Shit. I knew it." Enzan growled.

"You lowlife!" Blues hissed.

"Sergei…!" Rock Man cursed.

"This time we had enough time to work on it, so… I'll treat you to our newest pet. _No pain, no gain_! Bye-bye, Cousin Saito!" Sergei amusedly announced.

He performed that weird dance again before he vanished just as icicles rained down on the spot he'd been at.

"Freeze Man!"

Freeze Man appeared (inside of his diamond) and hovered above the water as if scanning it: he dodged some of the tentacles which came out of the water.

"There's something _big_ down there." He announced.

That "something" emerged: it looked like a gigantic humanoid beast with one gigantic eye, a mouth and tentacles as hair.

Two tentacle-like arms formed at both sides of it and it had two "breast"-like shapes on its upper body.

"What a monster!" Netto cursed.

"Ancient Sea Beast: Daidagosu"

"Che." The three of them grumbled.

The beast roared and swept the outer rim with its tentacles: it knocked Ice Man into the air and having him land hard in the ground several meters away.

"The eye has gotta be the weak point: let's try to cut through the tentacles and strike it!" Blues announced.

"Battle Chip, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Long Blade! Slot In!"

Both Navis drew the swords and jumped towards Daidagosu: its hair tentacles suddenly grew a mouth.

"What!" Freeze Man gasped.

They shot forward and tried to bite the Navis, who cut the heads off and finally reached the eye: they plunged both swords into it and Daidagosu howled as it recoiled.

"Che. It's gonna be hard to beat." Freeze Man grumbled.

"Battle Chip, Custom Bolt! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Elec Sword! Slot In!"

Blues jumped towards Daidagosu and tried to attack it: it suddenly dived into the water and Blues shot past it and landing on the opposite end of the tank.

"Che!"

Rock Man was trying to locate it when four tentacles broke through the floor around him and suddenly coiled around his forearms and legs while stretching them.

"Gra~h!"

"Niisan!" Netto gasped.

"Damn!" Blues growled.

"Ice Tower!"

The Ice Towers appeared from the holes the tentacles formed and they cut them, making Rock Man fall in the ground while groaning in pain: he panted and tried to recover his breath.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 100! Slot In!"

Rock Man healed while Blues helped him stand up: Rock Man was groaning and having trouble keeping his balance.

"Hang in there, Saito!"

"Y-yeah…! What a… monster…!" He cursed.

"Coming!" Freeze Man warned.

"Battle Chip, Area Steal! Slot In!"

Both Navis warped as Daidagosu emerged and swept the outer rim with its tentacles.

"Ice Stage!"

Freeze Man froze the tank's surface water and Daidagosu became trapped in a block of ice.

"C-Custom Bolt!"

"Elec Sword!"

Both attacks were conducted by the ice and electrocuted the monster, making it howl and be slowly deleted until nothing remained of it: the ice melted and the key floated out.

"Phew!" Netto sighed in relief.

"My job is done. I'll go report. Take care, "Net Saviors"!" Freeze Man told them.

"Ouch, desu… What was that, desu…?" Ice Man muttered as he managed to stand up and walk over there.

"A monster… But it's gone. There's nothing to be worried about anymore, Ice Man." Rock Man told him.

"Uh… I'll be going back to Hikawa – kun, desu… Goodbye…"

"… Heh! This one sure made them sweat a lot! Didn't it, _lil bro_?"

"Yeah! I'm so original."

Sergei was talking with Ivan after the battle ended.

"The _Project_ is underway. But I'm always ready to work in something new if we are requested to do so." Ivan announced.

"Good. Let's put some nice music… This one will do. Listen to it: it's totally terrific, _lil bro_! Heh, heh, heh!" Sergei announced as he typed into the computer.

"… _Wenn die Gondeln Trauer tragen und es halt der toten Klagen tief im Nacken das Grauen sitzt…" _A song began to echo: it had a sinister air to it, even.

"Heh, heh, heh. _Mitternach_, by E Nomine. Now I can work. This sets the mood." Ivan announced with a smile.

"Yeah. I'll be checking up the security systems and finishing loading Armored Man's firewall." Sergei announced.

"_Wenn die Uhr beginnt zu schlagen kalte, dichte Nebelschwaden berühr'n dich sacht… Mitternacht!"_

"Yeah. Midnight… That's what's waiting for you, Cousin Netto." Ivan announced with a hint of evil.

He kept on typing while the song began to build up a quick pace.

"_Gefriert das Blut dir in den Adern… Scnürt dir Angst die Kehle zu… Hörst du dein Herz und die Glocken schlagen ist est Nacht… Mitternacht!"_ The song chanted.

"Hmmm… Maybe the 3rd face-off will have to be edited… And I think that we'll end up picking a different opponent… Heh, heh, heh." Ivan suddenly muttered like he'd had an idea.

"_Loca in ferna in nocte. Loca in ferna in nocte. Animae in nebula. Mitternacht!"_

"I've heard your idea. But what are you gonna do to stop Cousin Saito from trying to steal our new opponent's spot?" Sergei asked as he materialized again.

"_Media nox, obscura nox… crudelitas animarum… campana sonat… duo decies… Loca… in ferna in nocte… animae in nebula~!"_

"Hmmm… We might have to force him to be the back row observer… Who knows? Maybe he'll be obsessed with his powerlessness and will even borrow some power from the _Dark Side_." Ivan amusedly told Sergei while chuckling.

" _Media nox, obscura nox! __Crudelitas animarum… Media nox…! Media nox…!" _The song concluded.

"Creepy enough. I like that idea. But let's wait a while: we want to fuel his ego a bit and then make it plummet to the ground… It'd be wiser."

"It's settled! Delete!" Ivan rallied.

"Delete!"

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"


	20. Chapter 20: The Bog Tribe

**Chapter 40: Fidel's Handiworks**

16:08 PM (Japan Time), Monday October the 25th…

"… Heh, heh, heh."

Fidel Sneaky crept across some alleys and popped his head out: he spotted the Akihara Middle School building and grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh. Let the Ameroupe guys search Cuba from the top to the bottom. I'm far from there. And let's test our new gizmo." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

He pressed a button on a remote and he turned invisible thanks to an optical camouflage device.

_I'm a genius!_

He then spotted Yuriko walking up to the entrance and leaning her back on the right side of the wall: she studied the street and then looked at the roofs while seemingly checking there wasn't anyone or anything suspicious or out of place.

_Whoa! A nice woman clad in black… She must wanna be like the Men In Black! Hmmm… Not bad. But I prefer more tint to the flesh. Anyway… She must be an escort to the brat, so I better keep my distance from her… _

The bell rang and the students began to come out: he soon spotted Netto, Meiru, Yaito and Hikawa going out in group and chatting.

_Oh? The brat broke his right arm? Heh, heh, heh. Then he's not much of a threat anymore. Why! I just got an idea. I could catch him and ask for ransom: I need some more funds. And I can always blame _Señor _Janus by claiming he ordered me to. I'm a - GENIUS!_

"Yo! Yuriko. Good afternoon." Netto greeted.

"Good afternoon. Should we get going?" Yuriko asked.

"Sure."

"Let's go."

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Have ya heard, Rock Man? That Yamikawa guy has come up with a hologram to show up in the real world." Needle Man told him with a grin.

"So! He took my suggestion seriously." Rock Man lifted his eyebrows slightly.

"So it'd seem."

They began to walk away while chatting in an animated manner and Sneaky followed them in a discrete manner: they reached Netto's house and stopped there.

"Well then! See ya guys tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Yuriko kept on escorting the other three while Netto entered his house and shut the door: Sneaky crept towards there and hid behind some bushes to monitor the insides through the kitchen's sliding door.

_Huh!_

He gasped when he spotted Rock Man standing there without his helmet and helping Netto sit down on the sofa.

_Damn! That's Rock Man! And he can come out in the real world! I guess I'll have to switch my plan slightly: I can pick that other brat who traveled with them. _

He chuckled under his breath and began to pull out when he stopped and hid in a corner: Dark Miyabi was crouching nearby and examining the ground in a detailed manner.

"Crushed grass, boot imprints… Someone was here today and _very_ recently ago: I checked the place this morning." He muttered with a hint of suspicion.

Sneaky climbed the wall and jumped over it while trying to land on the street in a silent manner: he ran off at top speed and didn't dare to look back until he was four streets away.

_Phew! That _ninja _guy almost found me out: I couldn't have guessed he checked the garden several times a day! They're taking security very seriously in 'ere, it'd seem!_

He then grinned and crept towards Hikawa's house: he jumped over the wall and spotted the window for the bedroom.

_Heh, heh, heh!_

He looked inside: there wasn't anyone, but Hikawa's backpack had been left on the bed, indicating that he was home.

_Good! He must be on the bathroom. I make my way inside and then knock him out… Oh! Wait! I need a getaway vehicle. _

"Camouflage Man: pick the first car you find in a 100 meters radius and notify me." He ordered in a hushed tone.

"Roger, Sgt. Sneaky." Camouflage Man acknowledged.

He picked a Wi – Fi signal and rode on it while using the CCTV cameras to check the surroundings: he found a white Nissan parked close by, so he snuck into its Cyber World and found a firewall.

"A firewall… But it's your everyday firewall. I know how to sneak past them." He muttered.

He walked over to it and pressed both hands on one panel: it changed from metallic gray to brown and disappeared.

"My "Panel Out" ability allows me to slightly change the terrain and remove objects. Heh, heh, heh." He muttered.

He sneaked inside and unlocked the car from the inside while shutting down the alarm via a holographic screen: he then exited the car and replaced the firewall panel before he returned to Sneaky's PET.

"Sgt. Sneaky. Mission: complete. The car is a white Nissan 40 meters from here."

"Good. I checked the surroundings: there's no suspicious guy or woman around." Sneaky grinned.

He stepped away and climbed into the car to ignite it.

"Anyone who looks will think that the owner's Navi is going to park it in a proper manner: that's how people behave around here." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

The car silently parked parallel to Hikawa's house and Sneaky came out of it and kept the engine on: he jumped over the wall and landed inside.

_Heh, heh, heh._

He looked at the bedroom: Hikawa was face-up on the bed and apparently taking a nap.

_Good. It'll save me the trouble of knocking him out. There's duct tape on the desk, so… I can use that to immobilize him._

He crept inside and picked the duct tape: he used a pair of scissors to cut the tape into segments and grinned.

_Heh, heh, heh! I'm a genius, _si señor_!_

He walked over to Hikawa and quickly placed one over his mouth and another over his eyes: Hikawa seemed to awaken, but Fidel turned him around and quickly immobilized his wrists and ankles.

_Slow! Heh, heh, heh!_

He picked him and placed him over his right shoulder as he ran off through the main door and tossed Hikawa into the car's trunk: he then climbed into the driver's seat and quickly sped away.

_Heh, heh, heh! I'm a GENIUS!_

The car quickly made it out of the district and headed towards the outskirts: Fidel spotted the closed down "Medusa's Hall" and parked the car on the rear.

_I heard this place has underground cells… Fitting!_

He cut the police seal tape and ran into the underground cells: he opened one and bluntly tossed Hikawa inside.

_Enjoy the nap!_

He closed the door and used its lock to close it.

_I gotta get rid of the car._

"Camouflage Man! Stay here and watch over the hostage. I need to dispose of the car and I know the place." He commanded.

"Roger!"

He ran off and picked the car: he drove for five minutes and reached the infamous plant with the car compactor machine where "Nebula" had tried to kill Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe time ago: Sneaky parked the car in the row and came out.

_Heh, heh, heh. This car will be scrap in half an hour. _

_Ugh… What happened…? Where… am I…?_

Hikawa slowly recovered consciousness and felt disoriented: he tried to move: his legs and arms could but his wrists and ankles were taped.

_I've been abducted! But this tape is easy to remove…._

He sat up and made a maneuver to move his arms forward: he removed the mouth tape with his fingernails and then bit his wrists' tape.

"Phew!"

He used his free hands to take off the one in the ankles and then the one covering his eyes.

"Phew! All that's left is getting out of this place…" He muttered.

He tried the door, but it was locked from the outside.

"Crap."

He then examined the surroundings: there was no lighting at all, so he had to crouch and use his hands: the walls and ground were made of concrete and there just a slight opening above the door to allow air: there was no furniture at all.

"Hmmm… Maybe if I hide behind the door when it opens I can use the chance to run off." He guessed.

He heard footsteps coming closer, so he gasped and positioned on an angle which would be hid by the door.

"… This basement has no CCTV cameras, then? The ones handling this must've had physical security…" Someone was commenting.

"So it'd seem, Sgt. Sneaky." Another voice replied.

_Sgt. Sneaky. That's the culprit. I gotta take note of it and tell Netto – kun about him: he might be one of the freelancers Silver Arrow hired. _

The door opened and Sneaky stepped in to stop on his tracks when he saw the tape on the ground: Hikawa used the chance to run off while Sneaky was checking the walls.

"Impossible!" He gasped.

"That can't be!" Camouflage Man uttered.

"… Huff… Huff… I did it…"

Hikawa stopped in front of Netto's house: a taxi was leaving and it was obvious Hikawa had used it to ride back here.

"Let's speak with Netto – kun!" He exclaimed.

He rang the door bell and Haruka opened.

"Oh! Tooru – kun. Welcome." Haruka greeted.

"Is Netto – kun at home?"

"He is. Come in."

"I apologize for not warning: something has happened." Hikawa admitted.

"Don't mind it." Haruka smiled.

He stepped inside and headed towards Netto and Saito.

"Tooru – kun? You look nervous."

"Has something happened?" Saito asked.

"I was abducted by a guy named Sgt. Sneaky!" Hikawa summarized.

"What!" Both gasped.

"Did you say Sgt. Sneaky?" A voice asked.

Hikawa spotted Miyabi coming out of the restroom while wiping his hands: he then realized that tea and snacks had been served on the table.

"Does Miyabi – san know about him? I suspect he was one of Silver Arrow's freelancers." Hikawa asked.

"Correct, Hikawa. So he got back here after fleeing Cuba, then… Where did he take you to?" Miyabi asked.

"It was a creepy building named "Medusa's Hall"…" Hikawa admitted.

"What!" They gasped.

"Huh? What?"

"That was where Meiru – chan was held at and tortured! I thought it'd been sealed up by the police!" Netto gasped.

"But I didn't see him coming into the house… I was taking a nap." Hikawa admitted.

"… Optical camouflage… That must be the reason those footprints were on the garden."

"So he was spying on me but surely Saito – niisan's presence made him realize he had to pull out… He must've tried to play smart and abduct Tooru - kun while claiming Ivan and Sergei ordered him to." Netto guessed.

"Well then… I guess we'll need to place protection around Tooru – kun's house… Maybe we should speak it with Misaki – san?"

"Hmmm… He must be low on funds. He must've wanted a ransom to be able to flee the country: travelling from Cuba to here ain't easy or cheap…" Miyabi brought a hand to his chin.

"But he must be about to run away at this rate… How are we supposed to locate him?"

Netto's Link PET beeped and Saito picked it.

"Mail… From "Godfather"… Godfather…? Eh… But that's a foreign concept, ain't it?" Saito frowned.

"The first thing which comes to mind with that name is the film _The Godfather_ by Coppola back on 1972… I saw it several years ago on a TV airing…" Miyabi frowned.

"The message reads the following: "Bird to fly to Hong Kong: he who does warn a traitor is not, or so Einstein's rip - off claims." … Why do I feel like I know who wrote this?" Saito read before muttering and looking slightly annoyed.

The Link PET rang and Saito picked the call: the screen was black.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh." A girl's voice rang out.

"Somari." Saito guessed.

"Yep. Did you like my prose?"

"I thought Saruba wrote it."

"Nope. He's been punished." Somari giggled.

"Eh?" All frowned.

"I mean… He pulled a kilometric and pointless _Samurai_ – like speech on me and ended with my patience. I locked him on his room after having him sing "a – le – le" a hundred times in a row." Somari sounded very amused instead.

"Man. I still remember that silly song I was forced to memorize when I was 6 years old and in elementary 1st grade…! I hated it!" Netto rolled his eyes and sounded exasperated.

"Tee, heh, heh. Maybe Sakurai will think otherwise?" Somari teased with a giggle.

"Dunno. I don't wanna find out. But that had to be a torture." Netto replied.

"Of course: it's what he and Solo fear most. In fact, Solo has gone camping with the Fortress Tribe to stay as far away from me as possible. It feels funny sitting on the throne for one day, though." Somari announced.

"Oi. We never wanted to butt into your personal affairs." Saito annoyingly told her.

"Ah? But can't you see that there's much in common with our generation and your generation when it comes to music class?" Somari teased.

"Point is: Fidel is gonna go to Hong Kong tomorrow. We can have him arrested at the airport."

"Ah. But have a look at Narita Airport's website: there are at least six different flights to Hong Kong along the day. Can you really check all of them? Tee, heh, heh, heh! I think you won't have it easy!" Somari asked with a hint of amusement.

"We can. And now play Empress." Saito shot back.

"Charmed. _Bye-bye_, _handsome_."

The line went dead and Saito deposited the Link PET back on its place before sitting down on the sofa.

"Really… I'd never guessed she was the "strict teacher" type." He muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"I guess I should call the Net Police and have them alert Narita International Airport…" Miyabi guessed.

He picked the tea cup and slowly drank it. He paused and had a sweet before finishing up the tea.

"Ah. Relaxing… I needed it. Well then… See you around."

"Goodbye."

"Take care, Miyabi – san!" Haruka told him.

"Eh… Thank you." Miyabi thanked.

He stepped out while Hikawa sat on the sofa: both spotted that he had slippers on.

"Yeah. I had them on me when I got caught… I hadn't gone home yet but I doubt Ice Man realized it: he's gone off to play with Aqua Man and Bubble Man on their "secret base"..." Hikawa admitted.

"You needn't worry: that guy will be escaping soon and he won't dare to come back anytime soon. He'll be caught sooner or later." Netto relieved him.

"Huff. Yeah. That's true. Anyway… I'll go and have some tea, if you don't mind, Netto – kun."

"Go ahead." Both invited.

Hikawa drank the tea while the twins sighed in relief: the situation could've been worse.

"… So! The freelancers are still out there and it'd seem one of them tried to play smart by attempting the abduction of one of Hikari's companion but the guy ran away and the man has had to flee."

"Correct, Shun – sama."

Obihiro was hearing to the news Hunter Man brought over.

"I found an interesting guy who could be useful as a secretary to organize things for me."

"Is that so? Congratulations, Shun – sama." Hunter Man bowed.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'm a genius!"

"Obviously, Shun – sama. What are my orders?"

"Take care of arranging for the week's delivery."

"Roger, sir."

"Good."

Obihiro began to type into the laptop and formed a smug grin as he worked on something.

"Heh, heh, heh. Bronze Sword is slowly taking shape. But I'm not sure of what methods I'll use or if I'll end up having an "ultimate goal" or "inaugural act"… There's much to be decided. Whatever…"

He shrugged and plugged an external HDD to the computer's USB ports to seemingly do a backup of something.

"I'll come up with something sooner or later. Maybe I'll get an input from somewhere, too. Heh, heh, heh… And one day I'm gonna prove my power to Hikari and Rock Man."

He stopped and frowned as if he's realized something.

"I dunno if Ivan and Sergei would want me to remove them from the picture… I guess not. They'd like to slowly torture and kill them off like they did with Forte and Freeze Man… My. That'd be lovely to see."

He then climbed off the sofa and walked into a nearby kitchen: he picked a jar of water and served some on a cup.

"Hum, hum, hum!"

He drank it and then sounded refreshed: he placed the jar back on its place and returned to working with the laptop.

"Everything… For Bronze Sword! For glory!" He exclaimed.

"Shun – sama. The orders have been completed."

"Excellent, Hunter Man."

"I will proceed to check up security and filter the mail."

"Yeah. I'm counting on ya, Hunter Man, my buddy." Obihiro grinned at him and looked amused.

"Roger, sir."

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"


	21. Chapter 21: Fortress Temple

**Chapter 21: Fortress Temple**

09:09 AM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 3rd…

"… Welcome, everyone."

The group walked inside of the Science Labs' main room: Laika had come as well as Jasmine and Pride.

"Yo! Laika. It's nice to see ya around again." Netto greeted.

"I feel the same thing, Netto." Laika admitted.

"Hmpf!" Meiru glared at Jasmine.

"There's no-one." She announced.

"These two look like opposite poles." Pride giggled.

"Charlie." Tesla glared at him.

"What?"

"Don't get funny ideas." She warned.

"Man. Is today "Jealousy Day"?" He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Ahem, ahem…" Yuuichirou called out.

Everyone sat down on their chairs while Yuuichirou, Meijin and Obihiro stood next to the central console.

"We are to find the 3rd temple today. B has contacted us with directions: you must go to that intersection where the locked doorway is at and then follow the path to the north." Yuuichirou announced.

"It's time to visit the _Naraku_." Shadow Man announced.

"Shadow Man. That ain't the _Naraku_." Miyabi scolded.

"No, no! He's not so much off the mark. It looked like over ten years ago to us three." A familiar voice announced.

The team of Navis set their sights on a possessed Police Navi who was standing there.

"Oi, oi… Don't give me those looks." Emperor S told them.

"In any case… We are getting closer to your hideout." Blues told him with a smile.

"True. But you still have the 3rd temple ahead of you guys. I'll be waiting there to give out the location hints. Bye-bye!" Emperor S replied with obvious amusement.

"… How is it, Search Man?"

"… True. I can see the control mechanisms now, Laika – sama."

The group was standing in a small intersection of a tunnel built into the mountain ranges close to the main entrance of the Black Hole Area: Search Man was investigating a black round metallic doorway which was currently locked: another path stretched towards the west close by as well.

"I am trying to find how it operates… I see. There are four locks which must be disabled in order. But it doesn't say which. I will have to try several combinations." He announced.

"Couldn't just blow it up?" Rokushadama asked.

"No. This material is extremely thick. And I don't want to risk the tunnel's structural integrity." Search Man replied.

"Nenji! Ya only wanna blow up things!" Napalm Man growled.

"I was tryin' to help, Nenjiro!"

"I AIN'T NENJIRO~!" Napalm Man roared.

He began to burn and Rock Man lifted his eyebrows slightly: he was too used to that scene.

"N, E, W, S… No good…" Search Man muttered.

He'd tried shooting at four red circular spots on the doorway's outer layer in a pattern, but it didn't work.

"… W, S, E, N… S, N, E, W… E, W, N, S… It worked!"

The doorway hummed and it slid to the right into a compartment built for it: a new tunnel opened ahead of them and some purple lights turned on to illuminate its interior.

"Good. Go!" Laika commanded.

The group formed a queue and Laser Man checked the back in case something came from there.

"We're heading north… I see! The pattern works in the order of Temples we are visiting: this Temple is north of the central one and the energy of it must head south." Blues realized.

"Yeah. That seems to be how this place is built like." Rock Man agreed on it.

They kept walking down the tunnel for ten minutes until they reached a new room: it had a large circular platform on the middle and four tall vertical rails were set around it: the walls were metallic and it was illuminated by purple lighting.

"Looks like another elevator."

The platform had eight blood red lines spreading from its center: a small blue-colored circle was drawn into its center.

"Then what are we waitin' for? Let's ride it!" Napalm Man rallied.

The group stepped into it and it began to slowly descend the rails until it landed on the ground and they spotted another locked doorway in front of them.

"Let me handle it. It must be the same pattern. It's a child's game by now, anyway. E, W, N, S… There it goes. It's opening." Search Man announced with a smile.

He quickly shot the four red circles and the doorway slid open: they ran ahead and stopped dead on their tracks.

"W-whoa!"

"H-HUGE~!"

The sight in front of them was impressive: a great fortress was set atop a tall mountain connected to the rest of the area by a large, modern-looking suspension bridge which crossed over the unending abyss surrounding the mountain.

"Whoa~…!"

The structure was over a kilometer tall and it had many windows, ledges, wires and other stuff protruding out of it at different heights and intervals.

"A fortress..! A whole fortress! And look at that bridge: it looks grand and modern!" Rock Man gasped.

"If we thought a desert plain and a rainforest were impressive, this makes them look pale in comparison…!" Netto gasped.

"Incredible…!" Meijin gasped.

The group crossed over the large suspension bridge and found another sealed doorway which Search Man unlocked.

"Let's go!"

The first room to be found was circular and seemed to be hundreds of meters wide and large: a large central cylindrical shaft was built on the center of the room.

"Wow."

The room was filled with strange tech and machines which seemed to be running in an automated manner: they then spotted some small centipede – shaped miniature robots crawling across the floors, walls and ceiling.

"What advanced technology…! They seem to be running the whole fortress: it generates wind energy thanks to the powerful winds which sweep this area! It must be supplying energy to the other buildings as well…!" Yuuichirou gasped.

"Those miniature robots don't seem to be designed for warfare: they seem to be the maintenance staff, so as to speak." Laser Man commented after picking one up and looking at it.

The central shaft was filled with a red beam of light which quickly turned bright white before it degraded into violet and vanished.

"… Light spectrums… It's a light spectrum display." Laser Man announced as he pointed at it.

"Wow." Everyone whistled in surprise.

"I found another elevator!" Shadow Man announced.

They looked towards him: he'd walked past the central shaft and found an identical elevator heading to a higher level inside of an adjacent room several hundreds of meters further inside.

"Shah, shah, shah! I guess we gotta climb up, then." Needle Man guessed with a grin.

"Let's go!" Blues commanded.

They used the platform to ride into a higher floor and exited into a corridor heading to the south.

"Over there!"

They spotted the central shaft which continued upwards: this segment had some bright energy spheres floating idle inside of it: they suddenly emitted a bright flash and vanished without leaving any trace.

"Anti - matter simulation…" Laser Man gasped.

"Anti - matter?" Everyone asked.

"It's been speculated for some time that even matter has its contrary on the Universe… Thus, it's named anti matter. It's extremely dangerous to handle: the mere contact with air causes an annihilation reaction which neatly wipes out anything on a set radius. It depends on the amount of mass it has, but… It could be like a nuclear bomb without radiation. The only know form of handling it, hypothetically speaking, is with magnetic fields, similar to plasma." Laser Man exposed.

"Whoa. Even matter has its contrary… I'd never dream of it to begin with…!" Netto was awed.

"I've been researching into it and that research led to me to design the super energy systems and its workings. Of course! Super energy is just a new form of energy achieved through complicated physics equations and reactions. It has nothing to do with anti - matter." Dr. Regal explained to the others.

"I see that there's a ramp leading upwards further on ahead… We should use it." Tomahawk Man pointed at it.

They climbed it up and ended up in a new room: it had two narrow catwalks built on the sides of the ramp's openings and leading south and an archway leading northwards: the name "Fortress Temple" was drawn into its structure but there was another sign which read "Wind Fortress" hanging beneath the main one.

"Let's go south for a min…" Blues suggested.

They entered a room shaped like the upper half of a circle which had a large viewing window set on the wall.

"Whoa. We could see a very wide panorama from here. Let's check it out!" Meddy suggested.

They ran next to it and looked out: some of the rainforest's trees could be seen looking towards the south-west.

"That's the rainforest!" Tomahawk Man announced.

They spotted the valleys and slopes which held the first Temple towards the south-east.

"That's the desert plains." Shadow Man announced.

Looking directly south, however, they could see a large concentration of fog around a set of mountains not too far from the tall column of light which was the main entrance to this world: a red beam of energy was shooting out towards it from above them.

"I guess that's where Emperor S' hideout is located at."

"Elemental, my dear Hikari." An amused voice boomed out.

"B." Netto guessed.

"That's a cool guy's name." He confirmed.

"Cool guy… There we go again!" H protested.

"Oi, oi! H – chan! Please don't give those glares!" B gasped.

"Let's check the Temple's entrance." Blues suggested.

They headed north and found the entrance: the walls next to it were made of concrete, so there was no seeing what was on the room ahead of them.

"In any case! Here go the hints: one is at the place where the enslaving metallic box is controlled from." B announced.

"Heh! A second one is placed at the spot where Chaos came to be created…" H teased.

"The last one is located at the spot where the Elder resides at. The air on stinks of destruction and abandonment… And the _demon fire_ roams around it seeking to drag pitiful souls into the _Naraku_. Oh. Before I forget… Something is sleeping there: something which mustn't be woken up…" Emperor S announced in a sinister tone of voice.

"Very clever." Shadow Man drily told him.

"Heh, heh, heh… Okay! See you guys around: the penultimate exit is on the right storage room!" Emperor S added.

"Tee, heh, heh. Will you be able to survive long enough to make it to our Temple?" H teased.

"Heh. That remains to be seen." B added.

"… Let's begin by order. Do you know any "enslaving metal box"?"

"Hmmm…"

Everyone seemed to be thinking about the riddle.

"Unless they mean a PC's screen…" Obihiro ventured.

"No! TV! They mean the TV: the DNN TV Station!" Enzan gasped and stood up.

"Weird! Why did they call it "enslaving", then?"

"'Cause people get stuck to zapping through it and not doin' anythin' else: that's why, Nenji jerk!" Napalm Man told him.

"Wha~t?"

"I'll head over there." Gyro Man announced.

"Magnet Man! Go along just in case." Tesla ordered.

"Roger, Tesla – sama."

"Chaos… How do you define _chaos_?" Netto frowned and seemed to be wondering aloud.

"Hmmm… Everything begins at chaos… The fusion of "Light" and "Dark" leads to "Chaos"… Everything begins at 0… Number 0… Zero! They mean Zero! Remember: the Zero Virus!" Saito muttered before gasping.

"The Professor's underground lab, then… Some sections of it must be intact despite how the _sushi_ factory building collapsed because of Greizer's rampage." Enzan brought a hand to his chin.

"I know the place. I could go." Roll offered.

"Allow me to accompany you, Miss." Knight Man requested.

"Okay! Let's go along: there might be a trap." Meiru agreed on it.

"I'm sure we'll work well together, Meiru – chan." Pride told her with a smile.

"The last one… That's very long! Huh… Why did they say _demon fire_ in English? Isn't there a word in Japanese?" Dingo wondered.

"Yeah: Onibi. Wait! Onibi…? Onibi Island: the Falzer Copy Roid Factory there was destroyed by "Zoan" Flame Man using the battleship of the same name! And it'd been abandoned, too…! Wily lives there from time to time as well!" Netto grasped.

"What do they mean by "something is sleeping there"?" Saito wondered.

"… Something tells me Sergei expects us there with a new "original idea" of his." Netto growled.

"Che. Then I'll come along as well." Search Man grumbled.

"I approve. Three will be enough, I hope. As long as it isn't anyone as powerful as Slur, then we shouldn't have much trouble. Maybe Forte or Freeze Man will show up as backup, too." Laika agreed on it.

"Good. Let's get a move on and seize those keys." Yuuichirou announced as he nodded in agreement.

"By the way… Shun. What are you working on by now?" Netto asked while sounding curious.

"That anti matter talk sort of inspired me… I want to try to come up with a new weapon capable of combining "Light" and "Dark"… I found a distinct signature close to the main generator's location which seems to be a doorway locked with such a signature… Thus… You'll need a weapon of the same energy to open it up… I'm gonna name it "Neutral Beam"..." He exposed.

"Interesting." Dr. Regal looked interested.

"… Roll Arrow!"

"Royal Wrecking Ball!"

Roll and Knight Made their way across the abandoned secret laboratory and found it full of Bestialized Viruses which they were fighting.

"Battle Chip, Tornado! Slot In!" Meiru announced.

"Tornado!"

"Kingdom Crusher!"

Both attacks wiped out a large patch of them and Roll managed to catch the key while giggling.

"Plug Out!" Both Operators commanded.

"… This is the place. And the key is up there."

"Good."

Gyro Man and Magnet Man made it to the DNN TV Station's servers and spotted the key atop the main server.

"Great Lion Head!"

Both gasped and dodged: Desert Man suddenly appeared from beneath a patch of sand.

"Desert Man." Magnet Man muttered.

"Uh! Magnet Man…!" Desert Man gasped.

"Attacking your boss, Sunayama?" Tesla questioned.

"Ms. P-President! Eh… I was told only Airstair was coming!" Sunayama gulped.

"You want a piece of me? Go, Gyro Man!"

"Gyro Air Force!"

Gyro Man compacted into the chopper form and shot at the enemy, making him recoil: Desert Man grumbled something under his breath and sunk on the sand.

"Lion Head!"

Gyro Man maneuvered and engaged his "Dark Scanner": the environment turned into a colorless world and the active objects were labeled in bright red color: he was able to spot Desert Man's shape under the sand.

"Tornado Arm!"

It wiped off the sand and forced Desert Man to emerge into the surface.

"Double Gyro Cutter!" Gyro Man announced.

"Grah! Plug Out!" Sunayama cursed.

"Che. Ran away…!"

"… Too quiet…"

"Yeah. The creep's gotta be close by."

"Obviously."

The three "Net Saviors" made it into the Copy Roid's Factory Cyber World and searched around until they entered the central section: they found a large pit with cliff-like walls and a continuous ramp which descended until it reached a circle drawn on the ground: it had a small stone pedestal set on the middle of it and a strange black-tinted light was coming out from under the ground around the pedestal.

"Damn. This scenery is the same as when I battled Twilight for the last time: he had me go down that endless ramp and facing Viruses and Navis until I reached the center." Netto cursed.

"I'm detecting a massive signature beneath that circle." Search Man announced.

"And something tells me we're supposed to beat it before getting this key, too." Blues growled.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… His Grace shall soon be resurrected! You guys will lose and the world shall become the Demon Tribe's… Our Master's property!" A familiar voice announced with obvious eagerness as it boomed out of nowhere.

Sergei suddenly warped and hovered above the air using a small data circle: he had a smug smile on his face.

"You lowlife!" Blues hissed.

"Damn." Search Man cursed.

"I knew it." Laika grumbled.

"Yeah. It was obvious!" Enzan cursed.

"Hmpf! I've got no time to play around: while you guys were fooling around, the ritual proceeded. His Grace absorbed the soul of the reborn Queen – sama and will be resurrected right here and now!"

The circle suddenly began to glow with a reddish light and the whole area began to shake.

"Bwah, hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah, ha~h!" Sergei exploded into triumphal and hysterical laughter.

The area's rumbling became worse and the circle vanished: a shape began to emerge from a pit underneath it and reached the surface.

"W-what?"

They all gasped: it was a gigantic beast easily over five meters tall, maybe even six.

The thing had two large feet and a large row of menacing teeth. Its whole body was covered in brownish scales and its feet fingers were colored white and were gigantic as well: the stone pedestal was set atop its head and was seemingly used for something.

The beast opened its wide mouth and roared.

A holographic screen popped out and a text was displayed over it in brown letters.

"The Sealed One"

"… Thou have resurrected… Congratulations… _My Master_." Sergei announced while bowing.

He warped out of the area while having a smug smile on his face and the beast roared as it began to climb up the ramp.

"That stone pedestal thing is designed to be hit and it'll plunge into its body while robbing it of energy." Search Man announced.

"Okay. Search Man! Be sniper. We'll attack it. Try to hit it as much as you can."

"Roger."

"Let's go, Saito – niisan!" Netto rallied.

"O. K., Netto – kun!"

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!"

Both drew the Neo Variable Swords and jumped down into the pit: they ran down the ramps and then jumped on top of the monster's head to hit the pedestal.

"Freeze Bullet!"

Search Man's bullets froze the fingers and they then broke: the monster lost balance and plummeted into the ground.

"Now!"

Both "Net Saviors" delivered some more hits until only the top part of the pedestal remained: the monster was surrounded by red energy and began to run up the ramp for some seconds before stopping and standing up.

"Gru~rgh…"

This time, though, two arms formed on its sides and it began to hold into a ledge while seemingly trying to climb in: the pedestal came out again.

"Damn. It evolves." Enzan cursed.

"Wait! Look!" Rock Man gasped.

The monster lost balance again and collapsed after having failed to climb up the ledge: both attacked it again and it then stood up for the third time while roaring: two black thin wings which formed a circle-like shape when close appeared from its back and it began to hover skywards towards the outer edge of the crater.

"Battle Chip, Triple Bomb! Slot In!" Laika announced.

Search Man threw the Triple Bomb at the monster: the impact stunned it and it plunged into the bottom of the shaft while causing a brutal tremor which even shook the real world machine and the island.

"Let's finish it off!" Blues commanded.

"Yeah! I'm coming!" Rock Man acknowledged.

They attacked it with the swords again and the monster glowed in white light before breaking down into large data chunks which then deleted and only the final key was left behind: the whole "pit" disappeared as well and the terrain resumed its normal configuration while Rock Man seized the key.

"Phew! It's already past twelve o'clock! Guess we'll have to take a break for lunch and then go storm the 3rd Temple." Netto sighed in relief and sounded exhausted.

"Yeah. I agree. You need a break." Yuuichirou agreed on it.

"Man. That was the ugliest monster I've ever seen." Saito rolled his eyes and sounded defeated.

"Plug Out!"

"… Oi! Raoul! Come out! We gotta finish wrapping up the thugs over here, ya know!"

Thunder Man was waiting for Raoul while inside of his apartment's living room: Raoul suddenly came out while sporting the disguise and Thunder Man looked surprised.

"… OH YEAH! Shake yer body 'till ye can't dance anymore and ye need some Coca – Cola to re-energize it! How's it going like, Brother? I'm the king of the disco! Wanna challenge me? Bring it on, twerp!"

Raoul began practicing a rather complicated dance with some "disco"-like BGM and acting like he was in a real disco party: Thunder Man slapped his face and sighed in frustration.

"Man… Luck seems to ditch me… What a disgrace…" He grimly muttered while rolling his eyes.

"Yo! _Danna_! Wanna shake it up? DJ! Put up something catchy! _Rock 'n Roll_! That's my motto!" Raoul announced next.

"How lovely, really…"


	22. Chapter 22: The Fortress Tribe

**Chapter 22: The Fortress Clan**

14:14 PM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 3rd…

"…. Finally… We're gonna storm the 3rd Temple!"

"Be careful. This won't be a walk into the park."

Netto looked eager while Enzan was serious.

"I knew that, Vice President." Netto grinned.

"Jeez." Enzan rolled his eyes.

The Navi team stood in front of the doorway and the three keys set themselves on the slots: the door opened.

"Go!" Blues commanded.

The team stepped into a platform and descended to a wide round room: the ground was metallic and had some straight patterns drawn into it along with small circles and the walls were tall.

"How big…!" Meddy muttered.

There was a ledge with the generator room's door further inside but the wall was too smooth to be climbed: there were some alcoves and balconies present as well but there were no "Safe Zones" at all, so they were continually exposed to slight damage.

"Lovely." Blues grumbled.

"Guess we'll have to be careful to ration our Recovery Battle Chips. We don't wanna run outta 'em." Nenji commented.

"So this is why it becomes the hardest of them: you have no protection and you're forced to fight while having the damage in mind." Laika commented in an analytical tone.

"Correct, "Net Saviors"!" A manly voice rang out.

"We Fortress Clan don't like being looked down on!" A second manly voice rang out.

"Coming." Netto muttered.

Two figures dropped in the middle of the room from atop the smooth wall at the end of it.

"Heh!"

The first figure looked close to a meter and ninety in height and their main color of choice was black.

They had partial black armor over their forehead but the face and the grayish skin were rather unshielded: the top was open too and the sides only had two gun-like pieces of armor aiming backwards and running over the red ear-pads: a small "tail" like in a plane popped out behind his head as wel while armor shielded the nose.

Their eyes were simple reddish spots although his "normal" skin could be seen on the slot carved for the mouth.

His chest had a bulky piece of armor shaped like a triangle aiming forward and the top of it had a black and red crest which read "AA" written there: two red lines marked the half of the side-armor height: the upper half was black in color and the lower one purple: there were two small exhausts set next to the ear-pads and two wing-like extensions formed from behind them.

Another two wings were built over the shoulders: they had a red lower edge, a purple main body, a golden stripe, and a blackish segment: they looked like they could be spun on their axis.

The shoulders also had two colors: purple and black, in the inner and outer halves respectively, along with two red circles on their lower ends: some grayish armor with golden edges covered the forearms and a bracelet with a small wing extension had been built circling the wrists: the hands' skin was black.

The outer face of the legs also had that grayish armor made of segments with the golden edges and knee plating: the boots ended in black triangles, one over the ankle and the other over the foot: another wing with a red stripe atop it popped out from there.

He also carried a grayish-armored black energy gun with a curious design on his right hand.

"Hah!"

The second newcomer was way taller than his companion, beating him by over a full meter.

His main color was blood red and his face's skin was teal in color: purplish transparent shades covered his reddish – irises eyes along with some thin gray armor set over his head, the sides of it, and around his jaw: two large red ear-pads were set on the sides of his head too.

His main torso was colored in a shade of brown and had golden edges and marks drawing a circle with a blade-like extension heading downwards: two small curved stripes headed inwards from a thicker golden edge which set the boundary with the shoulders: the central torso's shade of brown was more pallid than the rest of the main body.

The shoulders had two large curved pieces with a main red body, a golden stripe and a black top which looked like weapons: they had a small red triangle aiming downwards on their outer edge close to the top and another stripe heading for the main body.

His arms and hands' skin was purple and the forearms' armor was red in color along with the golden edges: the cuff was black.

Another two red and golden-edged sections climbed up along the sides and fell slightly short of the shoulders: the legs had that same drawing on the outer edges while the inner ones were plain.

Grayish armor ran down the legs near the rear edge and then ran along a stretch of the foot until it formed an arch: a brownish patch of armor was located on the rear of the feet while the fingers were covered by some slight armor.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh! Welcome! We are the leaders of the Fortress Clan. I am Acid Ace DS."

"I am Grave Joker DS! This place shall be your grave! Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Before that… The man known as "B" lived here for five years. Is that correct?" Rock Man questioned.

"Correct." Acid Ace DS confirmed.

"B – dono has a passion for battles." Grave Joker DS added.

"I guess we're gonna have to fight through you guys to reach his Temple, then." Search Man guessed.

"Yeah! Come at us: Net Saviors!" Acid Ace DS challenged.

"Appear: warriors!" Grave Joker DS commanded.

"HOU!"

More foes dropped into the vast room from the balconies set around its edge.

"I am Jack Corvus DS!"

Jack Corvus DS could be anywhere between a meter and fity and a meter and sixty tall.

He had a grayish helmet with purple lines extending backwards from near the forehead and it split into four diamond-shaped extensions: purplish hair which looked like it was burning emerged behind the helmet.

An orange-colored face-plate protected his face and revealed his blood red eye irises.

The main body was colored in a combination of orange and black and had an emerald set on the chest: a simple piece of gray armor covered the shoulders and another shielded the forearms: his hands looked more like a crow's talons.

Four gray-feathered wings spread backwards: they had an orange inner side and they ended in sharp and cutting feathers.

The feet armor was also rather simple in design but maybe the armor was designed to be able to cut into an enemy too.

"I am Queen Virgo DS!"

Queen Virgo DS was over a meter and eighty tall and her main body color was purple: she seemed to be fashioned after some medieval Western Queen given her dress design.

This dress began as a cylindrical purple hat with an upper golden band and cover: silver armor was set over the forehead and two spikes aimed upwards along the hat: a set of three formed a crown-like shape extending past her head.

A pair of transparent reddish shades protected her eyes the irises of which were golden in color: two strings of bluish hair ran down parallel to her head and another two extended horizontally behind her head.

There was a golden edge drawn around the neck and then grayish armor protected her upper body: a small pendant colored red was set over that armor too: the shoulders were designed as cone-like shapes colored purple with a golden edge and her arms came out from there.

Her arms had square sleeves with two stripes circling them before the cuffs the insides of which were gray: the hands' skin was a bluish color instead.

The waist had white armor encompassing it along with a purple ice hexahedron set on a "V" cavity directly over the navel: a layer of ice marked the boundary with another layer circling the legs but expanding at the same time: they formed a dome-like cavity with another two ice layers and two blackish layers and reached until the foot.

She also had additional partial armor flanking the sides: their upper edge seemed to have a "V" shaped as well, a central bluish blade and golden "L" shaped drawings on the lower edges.

She carried a staff which evolved into a cone having a golden stripe and a second blue stripe: a disk of ice surrounded the central dome and a spear of ice popped out from that dome.

"I am Spade Magnets DS!"

Spade Magnets was a more machine-like design colored black and being around three meters tall yet they didn't have a lower body.

Their face was purple in color and lacked a nose: the eyes were blackish and had red irises while a permanent smile was drawn on his face to make it creepier.

The helmet had a central red stripe and a bronze "Spade" drawing sketched over it: two black "horns" came out from the sides and aimed upwards.

A cavity had been built around the neck but the rest of the body was protected by black armor: two curious structures colored red and blue were set over his shoulders' spheroids: red and blue armor surrounded the wrists and he had two swords of those same colors drawn.

His lower body was but a black energy sphere with purple electricity frizzling through its mass.

"I am Dia Iceburn DS!"

Dia Iceburn DS could be around Jack Corvus DS' height but shorter than Queen Virgo DS and her main color was black.

Her face's skin was white and her eyes' irises blue in color: she had a small nose and an open mouth the insides of which were colored blue.

A cyan edge surrounded the face while the rest of the helmet was black in color and had a red diamond set on the center of it: two diamonds came out of the NW and NE corners and had a smaller central yellow diamond set there.

Her neck had a blue band around it and part of her upper body skin was exposed by the pyramid-like openings of her black and blue suit: a small yellow dot was set on the center of the opening.

A stretch of the arms around the shoulders was exposed and then covered in suit having some diamonds drawn there: thick blue armor surrounded the wrist and fingerless black gloves covered the hands: her fingers were blue in coloring.

The suit then formed two black triangles over the breasts, a cyan central diamond, and a purple-colored segment extending until the knees.

Two side-pieces of armor colored navy blue were attached to the sides of the body and had small spheroids on their ends.

Cyan and blue formed more drawings before, on the knees and after them: she then had navy blue coloring over the legs and small yellow diamonds atop the ankles: the feet ended in a silverish piece over the shoes.

These shoes were split into three segments colored black, blue and black respectively.

"I am Club Strong DS!"

Club Strong DS was a giant easily over five meters tall or more which towered over the rest of the group with his gray, black and greenish colors: he looked like some kind of statue even.

His face was covered by moss and he had the "Club" drawing on the stone gray forehead: his eyes were red and with black irises while his mouth was black in color: his whole face looked like a sculpted piece of stone given how part of his head extended backwards as a rectangular piece and across the body: the mouth had some kind of barrel inside.

His main body was a square split in two by a blue stripe: the upper half was gray and the lower black and moss covered the top of this piece as well.

The shoulders formed squares which had the "Club" symbol spun 90º to the left drawn there inside of blue edges: each had moss over them as well: the arms were black in color and then gained thick bracelets with some moss and piece of stone aiming backwards: his fingers were made of stone and were gigantic.

A round stone linked with the waist-block and then with the legs: they began from gray stone blocks and ended in moss-covered boxes with a vertical stripe and a pyramidal body set in front of them.

He carried a gigantic blunt club with a metallic band on his right hand which was his default weapon: its mere size could easily crush any of the "Net Savior" Net Navis even.

"I am Sirius DS!"

Sirius DS was a more "humanoid" design Net Navi who could be two to three meters tall and his design was rather outstanding.

To begin with his face was protected by a blue transparent face-plate and it could be seen that his eyes were closed: some blonde hair came out and extended to the right.

A black helmet in the form of an arrow aiming upwards was built up around the head: it had an orange stripe over the forehead branching backwards: a stylized "S" was drawn slightly upwards too and another stipe formed an arch near the end.

His neck had partial black armor over it but some red patterns extended downwards along a gray mass surrounding it and the base of the neck: it looked like energy being channeled.

The shoulders were anatomically correct and consisted of a build of black and gray: a small segment of purple-skinned arm was exposed before the forearms' armor came in: it had a mainly black body, a patch of dull brown over the hands and an orange "T" pattern: the hands were black-skinned and had five fingers each.

The chest had a glowing diamond with four spikes and four corners set there: the main body was purple in color and had some faint hexagons drawn there while the sides were colored gray.

His legs had an inner purple band with the same hexagons there and an outer gray armor: two hexagons with smaller hexagons insides had been built over the legs too: a small diamond cavity formed where the pieces of the feet combined with the front red piece of each foot.

Four sets of four golden pieces shaped in different manners and held in place by a floating grey diamond extended behind him and made them look like wings: a total of sixteen of them spread behind him.

"I am Moon Disaster DS!"

The last of these warriors was slightly shorter in height than Sirius DS.

His face was colored silver and he had red irises on his eyes: greenish armor formed over the head and then extended in the form of a triangle down his face and nose.

Silver curved armor with spikes protruding from the underside was sculptured over his neck, shoulders and torso and it had a decreasing moon drawing there.

The arms' skin was purple and two small-model moon boomerangs hovered over the forearms: a black bracelet with metallic dots on it surrounded the wrist: his hands' skin was red.

Silver armor covered the flanks of his body and a small-model moon piece of armor crossed over his central purplish body to connect both halves of the armor which ended around the hip: another pair of moon-cutters hovered over them.

The knees had two white dots above and below each connected by thin stripes and forming a trapeze shape: the rear edge was colored golden and so were his soils and part of the feet.

A reddish diamond was set over the feet and a moon-cutter hovered before each ankle.

"They look strong… This is going to be _hard_._ Very hard_!" Enzan grimly muttered.

"We do not "look" strong: we _are_ strong! We shall prove it on this same terrain! Fight!" Grave Joker DS announced.

"… Giza Wheel X!"

Acid Ace DS shot a small disc which had a saw-like edge to it towards the group.

"Darkness Laser!"

Grave Joker DS shot a large laser from his hands.

"Satellite Laser!"

Sirius DS combined his wings to form a cannon and shot.

"Pain Hell Flame!"

Jack Corvus DS hovered in the air and formed some purplish flames which he began to bombard the group with.

"Light of Saint!"

Queen Virgo DS landed in front of them and formed four columns of black light which began to spin around her and repel anything which they hit.

"Strong Swing!"

Club Strong DS began to beat the ground with his weapon and try to land blows on the Net Navis.

"B Ice Hammer!"

Dia Iceburn DS drew a gigantic hammer the head of which was made of ice and hit the ground with it, causing a shockwave of ice.

"Axis Jet!"

Spade Magnets DS suddenly hid his body and closed the two colored pieces to form a rocket-like shape: he was propelled forward using a plasma thruster.

"Moon Boomerangs!"

Moon Disaster DS shot the moon-cutters at them and they bounced back at him after meeting their targets.

"Disperse!" Blues growled.

The Navis got hit since there was no place to take cover and they then dispersed to try to not be sitting ducks.

"Tomahawk Rolling!"

"Meddy Capsule!"

Both Tomahawk Man and Meddy picked Moon Disaster DS: he dodged both attacks and then spun around his axis while shooting out black-colored crescent-moon-shaped boomerangs.

"YO, YO, YO!" He laughed.

"Star Breaker Laser!"

"Elec Blade!"

"Shadow Blade!"

Laser Man, Blues and Shadow Man picked up Grave Joked DS: he smiled and punched the ground to materialize some metallic blocks with red patterns into them: they landed at random in the ground and blocked off some of the attacks.

"Eat this! Grave Swing!"

He swung his punches and hit the three of them, pushing them into the ground and then stepping back.

"Aqua Tower!"

"Satellite Ray!"

Roll and Search Man picked on Spade Magnets DS and Jack Corvus DS: Spade Magnets DS compacted into a rocket form again and hit Search Man: Jack Corvus DS flew into the air and bombarded Roll with purple flames.

"Neo Variable Sword!"

Rock Man tried tackling Acid Ace DS but he quickly dodged and countered with a sword attack which pushed Rock Man into the ground.

"Napalm Arm!"

"Needle Cannon!"

Napalm Man and Needle Man were taking Club Strong DS and Queen Virgo DS on: Queen Virgo blocked the attack intended for her companion and summoned a serpent made of ice which hit Napalm Man while Club Strong hit Needle Man over and over again with the club without giving him a break.

"Tornado Arm!"

"Mag Ball!"

Gyro Man and Magnet Man fought Dia Iceburn DS: she could summon several blocks of ice to block off attacks and then make them ram into her opponents.

"Damn. We're not getting anywhere. They _are_ strong!" Laika cursed aloud while looking nervous.

"Guess it's time for the heavy artillery… Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!"

"UA~H!"

Rock Man transformed into Greiga to everyone's surprise: he readied his claws.

"Greiga Claw!"

He shot forward: he destroyed both Spade Magnets DS and Club Strong DS by using his fire attack plus the multiple high-damage quick attacks with his claws.

"What the…! What power! I've never seen anything like it before in these 15 years!" Grave Joker DS gasped.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!"

"HRA~H!"

Rock Man flew and dived towards Jack Corvus DS: h yanked him and tossed him against Queen Virgo DS.

"What!"

They both were deleted upon impacting with each other and hitting each one's attack, triggering a chain reaction and an implosion of both energies at the same time.

"Not yet!"

Rock Man shot several quick shots from his buster towards Diamond Iceburn DS deleting her as well due to the high degree of attained damage.

"Okay! Guys! Let's go for it!" He rallied.

"Che!" Acid Ace DS grumbled.

Blues and Shadow Man cut Moon Disaster DS into several pieces before he could think of countering.

"Now! Program Advance! Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot In!"

"Dream Sword!"

"Program Advance! Fire, Elec, Bamboo, Aqua Sword! Slot In!"

"Elemental Sword!"

"Program Advance! Cannon, Hi – Cannon, Mega Cannon! Slot In!"

"Zeta Cannon!"

"Program Advance! Hi – Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

"Program Advance! Fumikomi Cross, Triple Slot In!"

"Zeta Fumikomi!"

"Program Advance! Yoyo, Triple Slot In!"

"Yoyo Blade!"

The combination of PAs shot towards the leaders was more than enough to deal with Acid Ace DS: Grave Joker DS was deeply wounded and about to die but he managed to raise his arms to the purple skies.

"B – dono…! We have met a power above our imagination…! Yet…! We fought well! We managed to overwhelm them… These ones… cannot rival thou power…!" He exclaimed before being deleted.

A big platform popped out from the middle of the ground and climbed up: it deployed a bridge to connect with both the sub - generator room and the entry gate.

"Okay. The last sub-generator… Let's go!" Rock Man rallied.

"We'll be heading back to rest and then we'll scout the location of the main generator." Laser Man announced.

The team of three made their way into the sub – generator's room and spotted the typical energy projector system: it was built above the door and the beam was travelling south like they'd guessed.

"Okay. I'm gonna go for it!" Rock Man announced.

He drained the energy of the sub – generator and it stopped working: the sky turned blood red again and the wind seemed to die down: they could hear a series of hums.

"It'd seem that the fortress has entered energy conversation mode until the wind picks up again. It's designed to work like this." Yuuichirou announced.

"Again… This attention to realism and detail… This wasn't created in just one or two years: it must've taken about five years to build such a large and complex thing." Meijin muttered.

"Hmmm… Then it's true that the inhabitants have been around for fifteen years." Netto muttered.

The group undid the path and made it to the entrance hall: they entered the portal and appeared on Internet City.

"The growth of ratio has gone down 300 meters… We'll have to work on improving Saito's Energy Siphon program to see if he can handle three times its current capacity." Yuuichirou announced.

"I'm home!" Rock Man announced as he appeared on the Science Labs' Cyber World.

"You know the drill, niisan." Netto smiled.

Rock Man drew the Rock Buster and let the energy flow out so as to restore another blackened out section.

"Okay! Everyone! I did it: the "Neutral Beam" is complete!" Obihiro exclaimed as he ran into the room.

"Perfect!" Netto grinned.

Hunter Man handed them the copies and everyone installed it: some targets appeared to test their aim.

"Huh… Weapons Mode: Neutral Beam! Shoot!" Rock Man announced as he switched weapons.

A pale while beam shot out and hit the target, causing an echo-like sound to come out.

"It'd seem that it can be used with sound recognition systems to open up locks you couldn't open." Shun explained.

"Heh, heh, heh! Impressive! Really impressive! "Net Saviors"!" A familiar voice told them.

They found the usual possessed Police Navi there.

"You've come up with an intriguing weapon. But that won't be enough to fight me!" Emperor S told them.

"Che. We're gonna see your hide at last! Get ready!" Netto challenged.

"Head north from the main entrance: there's no way to get lost. We shall be waiting… Heh, heh, heh…" Emperor S announced.

"And I'm intrigued at that so-named "Bestialize" ability. That's power itself without any restrain to it: I know when to spot it. I have a knack for those things, I guess. Heh, heh, heh! Let's crack the nut." B added with a hint of intrigue.

"Tee, heh, heh. Things are heating up, it'd seem! Good enough… Enjoy your next trip!" H giggled and sounded amused.

_Prepare yourself!_ Netto mentally challenged.

_We're coming for you guys!_ Saito challenged as well.

"… Man. The "Sealed One" was hard enough to design. I'll have to lower the level for the next ones."

"Guess so…"

Ivan looked tired as he drank a cup of water while Sergei was scratching the back of his helmet.

"Anyway… I better get working on it before Emperor S – sama comes to remind me." Ivan stretched.

"Yeah. But His Grace shall keep those Net Saviors busy enough: he won't make it easy to access his Temple." Sergei grinned.

"… Heh. They'll be comin' 'round in a while. I'll make sure to observe their faces once they discover what's waiting for them."

"Ho, ho, ho. We had a good idea! Didn't we, H – chan?"

"Yeah, B. They're gonna sweat and they're gonna leave a trail of water behind them which will grow into a pond: Net Saviors' Sweat Pond, I'd name it!"

The two cloaked figures and their friend were talking inside of the throne room and they all sounded eager and amused.

"My. Net Saviors' Sweat Pond… It'd become the Cyber World's most hated pond, I'd daresay." Emperor S amusedly commented.

"Tee, heh, heh. And they'd try to erase it as well so as to not let their honor sink… But we'd be there to make a million copies of it!" H giggled.

"You know the motto: "close one website and three new websites will open the next day'"" B added with a hint of amusement.

"Come! Net Saviors! We are waiting for you!" Emperor S challenged.

"While we're waiting… Let's finish with the surprise's arrangements, shall we, chan-chin-chon-chen-chun?" H giggled.

"No that Choina – like rhyme again… It drives me mad!"

"My bad, S. I feel like trolling and kidding today. Tee, heh, heh." H giggled and sounded amused.

"Lovely." Both guys muttered.

"Come, cha guys and gals… And meet a surprise! Tee, heh, heh!"


	23. Chapter 23: Great Sky Temple

**Chapter 23: Great Sky Temple**

16:09 PM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 3rd…

"… Over here, huh…"

Rock Man and the "Net Savior" team members were walking down a metallic and bare corridor which was steadily climbing: there was a round gateway in front of them which had a pale while energy field protecting its body.

"Distance from entry point: two kilometers four hundred meters. It sure is far. And most of it is trekked with a 3% uphill slope within this tunnel… But we're close by." Search Man announced.

"Let me open it." Rock Man requested.

"Go ahead." Blues authorized.

"Weapons Mode: Neutral Beam. Charge Shot!"

Rock Man charged up the beam and shot it at the door: it caused a white flash and the barrier vanished as the door slid to the left to reveal a metallic ramp heading upwards.

"Let's go!"

They climbed the ramp and ended up in a wide round plaza.

"This is the spot?" Tomahawk Man wondered.

Ten columns came out of the ground and were interconnected by a circle built on top of them: each column had a keyhole on it and grooves which spanned both upwards and downwards: the circle also had some grooves built within the inner face of it.

"… You gotta be kidding me. Please tell me I'm hallucinating, guys." Rock Man groaned.

"Ten! Ten friggin' keys!" Netto gasped.

"If finding three each time was hard enough, finding ten is… Painful, even, I'd guess." Yuriko cursed.

"Che! One question… _Where_ is the so-called Temple? Is this the right place?" Napalm Man asked.

"I don't see anything that looks like an entrance… Wait… Maybe it is behind _that_?"

Laser Man pointed to north and they all stared at a wall of a bluish substance which covered up something.

"Maybe so… This substance doesn't allow me to scan properly. And I can't see what's behind with the Dark Scanner, either!" Search Man replied.

"But… That spot is like three meters away. My scans pick up the signature exactly where you guys are standing at!"

"It's built under the plaza, then?" Meddy wondered.

Search Man scanned the ground for some seconds.

"Wrong. There's only some kind of unpowered device." He replied as he looked up.

Rock Man looked at the columns and his gaze continued upwards.

"Huh? HUH?"

He suddenly recoiled and inclined his head backwards to keep looking: he was frozen in place.

"Uh… Everyone? Could you look - _upwards_?" Rock Man pointed one of his right hand's fingers upwards.

They all looked upwards and recoiled, stunned.

"_What_ in the name of the Lord is _that_?" Knight Man asked while sounding totally taken aback.

"I think we've found our missing Temple." Rock Man announced while rolling his eyes.

They all stared at the underside of a black building shaped like a club from a poker hand. It had red dots scattered on its underside and it seemed to _float_ in the sky.

"Huh? There's something here…."

Rock Man looked at the ground and realized there were some letters scrawled on it and covered by a thick layer of dust which had been partly removed because of them walking around the plaza.

"It reads: "Great Sky Temple."..." Rock Man announced.

"Fitting, even." Miyabi grumbled.

"A floating building…!" Nenji gasped.

"And how are we supposed to climb up there?" Gyro Man asked after five minutes.

"I guess this system under the plaza is the answer." Shadow Man guessed as he looked around.

"Heh, heh, heh."

"Tee, heh, heh."

"Ho, ho, ho."

Three different voices boomed out from above them and they all grumbled, sighed or rolled their eyes.

"Emperor S! This is unfair!" Netto yelled.

"Come on, come on… What if we told you guys that five keys will show up tomorrow and another five the day past tomorrow? Then it's somewhat fairer, no? _Fifty – fifty_, as they say in business…" Emperor S sounded like he was shrugging.

"Yep. You guys' sweat will give birth to the Net Saviors' Sweat Pond. How's that like?" H teased.

"We're gonna patent the name, too. If you guys don't agree, come fill a lawsuit against us anytime. Meet – ya – in – court – my buddy." B teased next.

"So! And since we're stuck here… We're supposed to cool off for what's left of today, then?" Gyro Man guessed.

"Yeah! We know the Fortress Tribe made you sweat a lot. Be grateful that we're considerate!" H told them.

"And Crimson Dragon was there, then?" Yuriko questioned.

"Yeah! I'm sure Forte still remembers its distinct energy flavor when it got pissed off." B laughed.

"Come back tomorrow's morning. We'll be working on the hints and the locations in the meanwhile!" Emperor S announced.

"… No way… It's gonna take us two days to open that bloody place! What I'm gonna do? I've got school!"

"Can't be helped, otouto!"

Netto was sitting on his bedroom's chair a while later and leaning his head on the desk while Saito stood close by.

"Guess the other guys will do fine… Enzan will have to be at IPC… I and Meiru – chan will be at school… Dingo will have to go help at Maha Ichiban's… Raoul and Thunder Man could come out and give out a hand, too… And I dunno what Forte and Freeze Man are doing." Netto frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Maybe they're trying to hunt down Silver Arrow members…" Saito ventured.

"Yeah. But none of them knew the HQ's location." A familiar voice announced.

They gasped and looked at Netto's Link PET: Forte was inside of it and he looked tired.

"You heard it, huh?" Netto guessed.

"Yeah. We'll both be in standby and ready for a sortie if Sergei tries to pull something on you guys. But I'd rather say it'll be smaller than that "Sealed One" monster." Forte replied.

"Sure… I can't imagine anything bigger than that." Netto rolled his eyes and sounded defeated.

"We've seen bigger things: Twilight's robot, Duo and the Super Cybeast Greizer. And Cache, too." Saito reminded him.

"Jeez… Emperor S… He's gotta be a sadist…" Netto grumbled.

"I don't think so. He simply must love toying with people." Forte quickly replied.

"And we still don't know what the heck happened during those 5 years spanning from 1991 to 1996." Saito added.

"Given Ox Fire DS' talk… It'd seem that someone else was in charge during that period: that someone might've come up with the whole idea. But then they all rebelled and either kicked him out or killed the one." Forte deduced.

"Yeah… And that one used the three Guardians to oppress them: that must be why they looked worn out when Golden Star send them out to fight you guys. They wanted someone else to get rid of 'em and Golden Star took care of that." Saito recalled.

"When did everyone turn into Holmes wannabes, anyway…?" Netto asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Come on! Otouto! Don't be so defeatist. Lift your head and try to look strong and confident!" Saito scolded.

Netto grumbled and stretched before he looked outside of the balcony window: the skies were blue and free of clouds as if mocking his current mood.

"… So? Whom did you find?" Saito asked.

"I found Demolition Man and almost caught Stratega. Demolition Man had never seen the hideout and I'm sure he was being truthful. Stratega pulled the legion trick on me and ran using that window." Forte explained while rolling his eyes.

"Sergei didn't bother to bail them out… But it must because they weren't "authorized" to do those sorties…" Saito brought a hand to his chin again and frowned.

"Yeah. That's gotta be the reason. Oh. True, true… Freeze Man encountered Hawk Man and almost captured him. However, he pulled a Blinder Battle Chip on him. He also called me "Uncle Gospel". I guess it's a rip off from Uncle Sam." Forte recalled.

"Uncle Gospel… It sounds so silly!" Netto looked annoyed.

"Guess I'll be going back to hunting. Take care, both of you." Forte told them.

"Good luck." Both wished.

They then sighed and Netto began to rummage into a drawer to take out all sorts of Battle Chips which he scattered over the desk: Saito picked the Link PET and the touch pen as he browsed through the holographic screens: it suddenly rang and Raoul (still disguised) showed up onscreen.

"Raoul – san?" Saito wondered.

"Whoa! Raoul! What's up?" Netto asked.

"… It ain't Raoul! My name is King Disco! Shake it up, Brother! We're gonna sweep the floor with the _amateurs_ standing on it! Music! Lights! Rhythm! Pace! A~nd… Dance!" Raoul suddenly announced as he began to dance in live.

Both twins' jaws hit the floor from the surprise: they spotted a small window displaying Thunder Man who was spinning one of his right hand's fingers to form a circle.

"Yeah! Oh yeah! Bring out the orange juice! Vitamin C is perfect for your cold! And I'm gonna say: that fisherman's motto is outdated! Vitamin C is way better than his crappy and outdated calcium! They should tell the guy he's fired! Oh yeah!" Raoul announced as if he was a rap singer: he made some dramatic poses.

"Oi, oi…" Netto looked baffled.

"I can't believe this…" Saito muttered.

"No way that this is happening…" Netto groaned.

"Believe it! I bothered to change and then Enzan told me there was no need for disguises back when we had to corner "Asteroid" Drill Man! Oh yeah! Shake 'em up! Rumble 'em! Fire 'em! Oh yeah! Blow 'em sky – high 'till they reach Alaska!" Raoul exclaimed next.

"That's why I say that that disguise is weird, Raoul… Don't you have enough with the _samurai head_ we gave ya?" Netto looked somewhat annoyed.

"Raoul – san: please be serious!" Saito told him.

"Oh? Oh. True, true! Rock Man! Ya wanna join my _rock 'n roll_ party? You _have_ to! You're the Navi specialized in rock, after all! Bring that Roll Navi over 'ere, too, and we'll make the Shaky Duo! Yippee~!" Raoul looked at Saito and grinned.

Saito slapped his own forehead in defeat and Thunder Man rolled his eyes in defeat as well.

"The "Shaky Duo"… What the heck is that?" Netto sounded totally baffled by now.

"Hah, hah, hah! Heh, heh! Trade secret, Brother! Come! Climb! Descend! Escalate! Whine! Cry! Moan! Beg! Somersault! Up! Down! Left! Right! Center! Nowhere! I'm Raoul Ou – sama! Come at me, punk! I'll kick ya into the Hollywood studio ya came out from!" Raoul imitated a DJ's gestures.

"I'm gonna go crazy." Netto grimly muttered.

"No wonder…" Saito grimly muttered.

"Oh yeah! There's nothin' else to wrap up over 'ere, ya see! I got a chance to disconnect! A~nd… Fire at will! Shoot! Bang! Bring the Bloody Mary over 'ere: that guy needs to mourn the death of his outdated tape recorder! This is the Digital Age!" Raoul exclaimed next.

"Mourn the death of his outdated tape recorder… That's gotta be the craziest thing I've ever heard." Netto muttered.

"And that of the "Digital Age" is true, but Video Man began boasting the motto, too." Saito rolled his eyes.

"… Oi! A raid!" Thunder Man announced all of sudden.

"WHA~T? Run for it, Brother!"

Raoul ran off screen and collided with something: he dizzily stepped back until he lied with his back on the floor, totally dizzy.

"L-let's… dance… B-brother…" He dizzily muttered.

Everyone rolled their eyes and sighed in defeat: Raoul could get weird moods from time to time.

"… Did ya see that, _big bro_?"

"Yeah, _lil bro_. Amusing."

Ivan and Sergei hadn't missed any of Raoul's call and looked absolutely amused by his behavior.

"A Bloody Mary… Maybe he should give it to that gal named Anetta: don't you think so?" Ivan suggested with a grin.

"I wonder if she caught her silly boyfriend yet… She must be trying to pick between Hikawa and Eboshi." Sergei muttered while sounding both intrigued and amused.

"Let's look it up!" Ivan grinned.

He typed some commands into the computer while Sergei looked over his right shoulder: footage of Anetta's living room came in and Hikawa could be seen wearing a white apron and a cloth around his head as he cleansed the room while looking resigned.

"Oi! Hikawa! Make sure that it remains clean enough: cleansing is very important!" Anetta called out off-screen.

"_Hai_~…" He muttered.

"Bwah, hah, hah, hah! He's ended up like Gauss! What a poor guy!" Ivan laughed.

"But Gauss did that 'cause he wanted to spoil Tesla…" Sergei pointed out with a hint of amusement.

"And don't come close to the bathroom: I'm fixing up my hairstyle and I need concentration!" She commanded.

"_Hai~_…" He merely replied.

Both Ivan and Sergei were barely holding back their laughter.

"Oh! And get tickets for the new movie, too!" Anetta added.

"_Hai~_…" He acknowledged while looking at the ground.

"Let's cut it already."

"Yeah. Let's check on Raoul."

"O~w… Ouch! My nose! It hurts! Thunder Man! You! What was that about, huh?" Raoul groaned.

"You'd gotten cocky."

"Yeah? And so what?"

"You were out of character."

"And so what?"

"So I had to snap you outta it before you did something crazy."

"Guess so…"

"And you fooled in front of Rock Man and Hikari Netto too…"

"Oh man. Gotta be the Disco Virus…" He rolled his eyes.

"There's no "Disco Virus", Raoul! Admit you were acting weird 'cause you got cocky! End of the tale!" Thunder Man groaned.

"Man. Today ain't my lucky day." He sighed.

"Heh, heh, heh! That's funny!" Sergei giggled.

"Ain't it, _big bro_? Raoul's an amusing guy, yeah."

"Well! I know the solution! Next time I'll invent the Disco Virus Vaccine!"

"No way… Why does this happen to me~?"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Oi! Raoul!"

"I'm a genius! Enzan! Get ready! I'm gonna pass it into you and we'll be stars of all singing championships!" Raoul grinned.

"Don't involve Blues!"

"Too bad, Thunder Man! I've decided! It's time to rumble and shake along the hammer!" Raoul grinned.

"What the hell is THAT?" Thunder Man was annoyed by now.

"That's my secret weapon to beat any jerk."

"Lovely." He grumbled.

"Not bad." Ivan grinned.

"At all." Sergei added while distractedly tapping the desk with his right hand's fingers.

"Oi! Enza~n!"

"Whoa! Raoul! What's up?"

"The Disco Virus is on the move! Let's go, _little brother_!"

"Not that again…!" Enzan groaned.

"Thunder Man… Can't you do _something_ about that?"

"Believe me, I've tried. Someone needs to snap him outta that."

"_Oh yeah! Let's dance! Little brother!"_

"There's a thief escaping from next door." Enzan invented.

"_WHAT_! Wait there, you!"

"Heh, heh, heh! Raoul runs off and will take half an hour to realize Enzan said that to shake him off… This IS fun!" Sergei laughed.

"Heh, heh, heh! Let's have fun! Heh, heh, heh!"


	24. Chapter 24: Impersonation

**Chapter 24: Impersonation**

09:09 AM (Japan Time), Monday October the 4th…

"… Here we are."

The usual group reached the plaza underneath the Great Sky Temple and stood still.

"Welcome back, Comrades! We're gonna give out the locations of the first pack of five keys." Emperor S greeted.

"We'll listen. And then we'll cast a curse on your flesh." Shadow Man threatened.

"Oho… You've seen _The Mummy_." H teased.

"Speak!" Knight Man commanded.

"The first one is this: at the ship of the decisive battle." Emperor S announced.

"The second one is this: where the three-headed guy showed up twice to cause a ruckus and the electrical soul was captured." H announced.

"The third one goes like this: where cold rules everything and a hero saved a nation." B let out.

"The fourth one says this: where the dolls were born at." Emperor S told them.

"Last one: where the beast was fed at." Both B and H announced in a simultaneous manner.

"There goes my curse: you three shall be devoured by cannibal cockroaches until only your bones are left." Shadow Man announced in a sinister tone of voice.

Everyone recoiled while looking afraid and Shadow Man chuckled as he shrugged.

"Terrific enough. And I'm sure you'll another one for tomorrow. Drop by here tomorrow to know the rest!" Emperor S sounded extremely amused.

09:26 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Ship… Decisive battle…"

"… Three-headed guy… electrical soul…"

"… Ruled by cold… A hero…"

"… The dolls… Birthplace…"

"… The beast's dwelling…"

Enzan, Laika, Yuriko, Miyabi and Airstar were thinking aloud and trying to isolate the keywords of each location.

"Have you been in many ships?" Tesla asked.

"Been in… Hmmm… The research ship which was attacked by the "Zoanoroids", perhaps…? No. Wait. Damn. I know where." Enzan wondered before stopping and making a grimace.

"The only other ship which comes to mind is… Nebula's tanker." Meijin announced.

"The lowlife." Blues hissed.

"Then I'll go in your place. That place must be a bad spot for you guys, I guess." Airstar announced.

"Thanks, Charlie." Enzan replied.

"…"Soul"… Do they mean a "Soul Unison"?" Yuuichirou wondered.

"Ah! Sword Man and the "Thunder Soul"! The research lab which he attacked… It's gotta be there!" Enzan grasped.

"Two of them narrowed down: we're making progress." Dr. Regal looked thoughtful.

"Ah! Of course! The rare metal mine in Sharo…! The "hero" means Morozov…! I should've spotted it at the first glance." Laika gasped.

"Dolls… "Copy Roids"…? Oh! Densan University: Makoto – kun's research laboratory!" Meijin gasped.

"But, "beast"… Do they mean the "Super Cybeast"…? No. They used it twice already… The "Sealed One" doesn't count nor those things which Sergei and Ivan made up… It has to be way before "Golden Star" came into the picture… I'm sure of it." Enzan muttered.

"Hmmm… Wait. Gospel… Didn't they have a beast?" Yuriko suddenly recalled.

"Shah, shah, shah! They sure did!" Needle Man remembered.

"Gospel…? Oh. I heard that name on the news time ago, if memory serves…" Dr. Regal recalled.

"True. That beast was deleting Internet Sites on its wake." Laser Man recalled.

"Where did it dwell at?" Miyabi asked.

"Oh! I remember: the Gauss Console!" Meijin announced.

"True! I was the one who seized that info." Enzan recalled.

"Then… How should we organize?" Yuuichirou asked.

"I and Gyro Man will pick the tanker."

"Blues and I will go to Densan University."

"Search Man will go to the rare metal mine."

"Magnet Man and I will check out the Gauss Console." Tesla let out.

"Meddy can go to the research lab!" Jasmine suggested.

"Good. The other five: remain on standby. Go and take care of any errands you might have to do. We've got work ahead of us." Yuuichirou told them while looking serious.

"Wait a min!"

Obihiro ran in and stopped to catch his breath.

"Good news: thanks to restored energy, I'm using it as a base to design the "Light Armor": it'll reduce the damage to 0!"

Everyone quickly clapped and Obihiro blushed.

"But it's still only at 30%... I hope to have it ready by the time we hit the Great Sky Temple. Then, without atmosphere damage to be concerned over, we can go all out in battle." He let out.

"That's splendid, Shun – kun. Please work on them but don't overwork yourself. Understood?" Yuuichirou smiled.

"Please leave it to me."

"… Whoa. Tooru – kun. You look like you had to load a thousand suitcases during the weekend…"

"I'd rather preferred that than what I ended up doing…"

Hikawa looked absolutely exhausted and his friends were surprised as they stood around his desk.

"What happened? Did you try to combine violin and ice skiing again or what?" Dekao asked.

"No… Anetta – san invited me over all of a sudden…" Hikawa admitted while sounding defeated.

"So! He picked on cha 'cause Enzan is mine and Netto is Meiru – chan's, then…" Yaito giggled.

"Hmpf." Meiru looked unimpressed as she glanced at Levé.

"And what did she do to you?" Netto asked.

"I had to be her secretary and do-it-all-boy! I cleansed the house, cooked a meal, bought tickets for the cinema, and had me swear I would follow her orders or there'd be consequences… She only let go of me at evening and told me to go home…" Hikawa explained while sounding exhausted.

"Whoa. What mood." Netto whistled in surprise.

"Hmpf." Meiru glared at Netto without him noticing.

_Otouto…! Beware of Meiru – chan: she's getting funny ideas! That look says it all! And Roll – chan is acting like it, too!_

_Crap. _Netto cursed.

"Eh… Tooru – kun… Eh… Anetta didn't… I mean… Did she look menacing when she spoke that there'd be consequences…?" Netto asked him in a hushed tone once the others headed elsewhere.

"Huh…? Yeah… She spent a lot of time in the bathroom… But I dunno why: she claimed she was fixing her hair. Why'd you ask such a thing, Netto – kun…?" Hikawa slowly looked up.

"I'd say you make a run for your sanity: I'm afraid she wants to join the club…!" Netto warned.

"What club…? The drama club…?"

"No! The S&M club…!"

"S&M… Isn't that a videogame…?" Hikawa didn't seem to know what it was given his sleepy face.

"You'd be better not knowing, believe me. But I'll say just one thing: if Anetta doesn't keep herself in check, then you could end up losing your sanity!" Netto warned.

"Uh-oh… Then I guess I gotta find myself a lawyer…" Hikawa gulped and looked nervous.

"Yeah! Do whatever it takes, but split off from her! And warn Shuuichi – kun: he might be next!" Netto added.

"Shuuichi – kun…! No way…! He's still remorseful for being used by "Phantom" Hat Man! I don't want anyone to bully him…!" Hikawa looked more awake by now.

"Ops. Break time is almost over… We'll speak later, Tooru – kun!" Netto whispered.

"… I have retrieved the key, Tesla – sama."

"Good work."

"Thank you."

Magnet Man had found one of the keys: these ones had a blue core instead of red but kept on having the same structure nevertheless.

"Hum."

The key was placed inside of the cage where Gospel had been closed at: a large crevice could be seen having been left behind on the ground if one looked around.

"… Barely two years… Yet… Time passes by… It seems it was yesterday when it happened…" He muttered.

Some sarcastic clapping along with laughter rang out: Magnet Man gasped and turned around to see Sergei standing in front of him while looking somewhat amused.

"You lowlife…!" Magnet Man cursed.

"The competency!" Tesla growled.

"Ah… The ghost of the past… We all have one! Don't we?" Sergei teased with a smile.

"Mag Missile!"

Sergei merely warped and appeared some meters to Magnet Man's right while looking at the ground.

"… Heh, heh, heh… Why don't we allow the ghost to materialize its existence? Let it discharge its hatred, pain and fury before it departs into the Afterworld…" Sergei looked at Magnet Man and took out his tongue to lick his lips.

"Damn. I know who he means." Magnet Man cursed.

Some data appeared and a carbon-copy-like Elec Man formed on the spot: its eyes were red and inexpressive.

"Hmpf. Play around. Farewell!" Sergei told the copy.

He vanished in his usual flashy manner.

"Che!"

The copy took out two Elec Swords and let them frizzle with electricity as he crossed them and shot a powerful blast forward.

"Battle Chip, Lightning! Slot In!"

The lightning rod appeared and absorbed the copy's attack: it wasted on time and dashed forward to slice it off.

"Battle Chip, Bamboo Sword! Slot In!" Tesla commanded next.

"Hra~h!"

Magnet Man locked blades with the copy and made a grimace: he then took out his ruler and plunged it past the copy's chest emblem: it looked up and began to shin with a white flash.

"Damn."

"Plug Out!"

Magnet Man escaped just as the explosion swept the whole cage and collapsed its insides.

"… Good work, everyone! We have the first five keys already. We'll pick the next set tomorrow." Yuuichirou congratulated.

"Be careful: they might bring out another "ghost of the past"..." Tesla warned with a serious look.

"I don't need a "ghost of the past": I already have Desert Man and Sunayama to be deal with."

"Hmpf. Ghosts. Let them be slain and put to rest." Shadow Man drily announced.

"It'd seem you picked a rather dry mood today." Miyabi lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"I don't have a ghost, either." Jasmine shrugged.

"Yeah. We don't." Meddy shrugged.

"Good. Let's rest."

09:51 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday October the 5th…

"… Phew. Here we are!"

The team met on the plaza and spotted how five of the slots had a red x on them as if to indicate that such keys had already been found.

"Emperor S! We found five of the keys. Let out the locations of the other five ones!" Tomahawk Man called out.

"But of course! The sixth one is this: where the heat began and the Monsters came from the Monster World." Emperor S announced with a hint of amusement.

"The seventh one is this: where shade, cosmos, liquid and midnight fought the young one, the electromagnetism, the flying vehicle and the sharp edge." H teased them.

"The eight one goes like this: where the world was split into three but the King brought upon their collapse to then be reborn." B announced while holding back a chuckle.

"The ninth one is this: where the Monster King which came from the Monster World summoned its servants." Emperor S added.

"Tenth and last one: where all incidents were managed from." Both B and H concluded.

"And I guess that you'll have us wait until tomorrow's afternoon so that we can all come." Blues guessed.

"Bravo, Holmes." Emperor S told him.

"We've got some good Sherlockians, it'd seem." H giggled.

"Beware of the S3 Plan!" B added.

"Jeez. Don't mix up the stuff from the game, B! This is serious!" Emperor S grumbled.

"I had to say it." B chuckled.

"This one should learn to hold back." H drily told him.

10:12 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Okay. We've got a lot of references. Let's try to dissect them and make sense outta them."

"Monster World… Monsters… Heat… Heating…" Enzan brought a hand to his chin.

"Man! This one is hard… Somewhere where a 4 VS 4 battle happened: that's the point of it!" Rokushadama grumbled.

"Hah! I knew it! Ya are senile!" Napalm Man laughed.

"Wha~t?"

"The world split into three… the King…" Meijin muttered.

"Huh… Monster King… Monster World again… servants…" Jasmine frowned and tapped the desk.

"Crisis… Management…" Miyabi frowned.

"… Ah! The heating incidents… They were a precursor of Falzer and Greiga's appearance into our world!" Enzan gasped.

"Then… It must mean the famed Ameorupe Army Base where Bubble Man found Trill and we met Iris." Blues guessed.

"… I remember! The seventh one is on the overrun "Dark Chip" factory by the reclaimed land… Tesla and Airstar were there: we had to fight Cosmo Man, Umbra and one of those strange soldiers!" Yuriko gasped.

"True!" Both Tesla and Airstar exclaimed.

"World… World… Three… King…? World Three! Pharaoh Man's self-destruction…!" Meijin gasped.

"And the "Monster King" must mean "Zoan" Pharaoh Man and his pyramid: even though Saito left it highly damaged when he went into a rampage, some of it still remains intact…" Yuuichirou guessed.

"Then we're pending the "crisis management"… Isn't that the Net Police HQ?" Jasmine suggested.

"… No! Here! The Science Labs…!" Miyabi realized.

"Whoa!" Everyone gasped.

"Here? But we'd noticed it!"

"_BAKA_~!" Napalm Man growled.

"Wha~t?"

"Do ya have any idea of how big the Science Labs' Cyber World is like, Nenji? There are tons of areas: some of them aren't used anymore 'cause they're outdated, even!" Napalm Man growled.

"Maybe Proto Area 01…?" Meijin wondered.

"Okay! Meddy and I will check the Science Labs." Jasmine offered.

"Knight Man will go to the old "WWW" Base."

"Shadow Man will check Proto Area 01."

"Nenjiro will check the Army Base!" Nenji grinned.

"I AIN'T NENJIRO~!" Napalm Man roared.

"Ouch, ouch! Hot, hot!"

"Laser Man will go to the old factory." Dr. Regal calmly announced.

"Good! We'll do the same method we used yesterday. Be careful: we don't know where Sergei might show up at." Yuuichirou nodded in agreement before warning.

"To think they hid it under our noses…" Blues grumbled.

"Yeah. They're not short in sarcasm or irony." Enzan rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat.

"I'm impatient to see their ugly hides and cast my eternal curse into their flesh." Shadow Man chuckled.

"Quit it already…" Miyabi rolled his eyes.

"It'd seem the morale is high: that's good to see." Mejin smiled.

11:08 AM (Japan Time)….

"… Did you have any luck, Tooru – kun?"

"… No. None. And she did it. I thought I was really going to go crazy or die from embarrassment…"

"What the…!"

Netto had been speaking with Hikawa and gasped upon hearing his account of what had happened.

"… I'm being forced to wear this weird gear under my clothes the whole time… I feel so embarrassed…!" He whispered.

"…. I'd never believed it… Anetta has an evil and twisted side to her, then…? Or does she think it's just something "fashionable"?" Netto wondered.

"Fashionable or not… I think she's gone too far." Hikawa grumbled.

"Of course she has! You've gotta report it: this is called _rape_ and it's punishable by law!" Saito told him.

"Yeah. Make your move ASAP: go straight to the police after school and report it all. There's gotta be some evidence somewhere…" Netto muttered.

"There _is_. And we shall lend it to you, Cousin Netto, 'cause we're not pleased with the outcome." A familiar voice rang out.

Saito gasped and looked at the teacher's desk: Sergei had left a data cube on it and looked displeased, for once.

"Sergei! What are you planning?" Saito demanded.

"Hmpf. Look at this and will become clear. We do not like people who think they can laugh at our faces and neither does Emperor S – sama or His Grace's companions. We'll meet again." He dully told him while looking displeased.

"What?"

He suddenly warped out of the room and the only thing was the data cube on top of the desk: Saito seized it and inspected it by holding it up to the light and turning it around.

"Weird… He sounded rather displeased, for once." Saito muttered while frowning.

"Don't open it here. I'd say we check it out at home." Netto whispered to him.

"Roger."

"Really strange…" Hikawa frowned.

"… Dr. Regal – sama. I have secured the key."

"Good."

"Hmpf! The miniature Death Star is here or so it'd seem."

Laser Man gasped and looked behind him to see Sergei standing against a column and having a sand clock on his hand: he looked rather displeased or bored.

"Sergei…!" Laser Man cursed.

"Hmpf. I've got one pawn here. Make sure to enjoy it. I'm off to work on the "Project"..." Sergei announced.

He warped out in his flashy manner and one of those liquid-like soldiers which Twilight had used to have formed: it drew its blades and jumped towards Laser Man.

"Cross Laser!"

The blast hit it at close quarters and it dissolved into the liquid puddle: it then regenerated itself.

"Damn. Regeneration ability." Dr. Regal cursed.

"Bothersome rubbish." Laser Man grumbled.

"Go, Laser Man!"

He opened his palm and shot a thin laser beam through the head of it, blowing it up and making it deleted: both he and Dr. Regal grumbled something under their breaths.

"… What!"

"No way!"

"Who…?"

Netto, Saito and Hikawa were checking the contents of the cube Sergei had handed over on Netto's house bedroom: it displayed CCTV camera footage of "Anetta" one evening: she could be seen taking out a latex mask to reveal someone else: Nemenaya Mies, Salome's Operator.

"That person…! Salome's Operator: the S&M sadist!" Netto gasped in horror.

"So that's what happened: Anetta was impersonated by this criminal and she wanted to "play" with someone: she must've researched into Tooru – kun and thought she might be able to fool him since he didn't know Anetta a lot and was the type to not question things…!" Saito put the pieces together.

"So that's why she acted like that…" Hikawa muttered.

"And because Ivan or Sergei didn't give her "permission" to do such a thing, they bothered to give this evidence to us… We gotta tell the police ASAP!" Netto gasped.

"… Mies – sama: a call is coming in. Number: unknown. I cannot trace the origin either."

"Maybe it's someone from the Sapphire Kingdom wondering what's going on. Connect it, Salome."

Nemenaya had taken out her mask and looked unimpressed as she installed a 5cm black silicon vibrator into a triangular wood horse: the vibrator was filled with spots and looked deadly.

"Hmpf."

She then looked at some items inside of a small suitcase: a black wool blindfold, a small black leather band with a red dot-filled spheroid, three small pink-colored ovals with cables and remotes and, lastly, a small white cylinder which seemed to be some sort of plug.

"… Hello? Who are ya?" Nemenaya asked.

"… What bothersome foolish gius!" A man's voice replied.

"Sorry. Wrong number."

"Hmpf. Work on that setup: you won't get to use it." The voice told her while scoffing.

Nemenaya snapped out of it and gasped along with Salome.

"W-who…?" She questioned.

"Oh. It'd seem you've forgotten. Who gave you the money? Who gave you the resources? Who told you to not to mess with someone? Who told you "go back to work on your devilish club"? Hmmm?" The man questioned with a hint of annoyance.

"Ja – Janus!" She exclaimed.

"Janus – _sama_ to you, Nemenaya Mies. We had a contract with some agreements. And you used loopholes on them." Janus icily told her.

"N-no way! Ya called the cops?"

"No. But I gave some evidence to a "Net Savior". Unquestionable evidence. And that one is going to testify against you. You're over, Nemenaya Mies, over. We Silver Arrow will not allow anyone to loophole a contract agreement. Let this be a warning: you freelancers should be grateful to have been granted such money. But you didn't. I can be a rather ruthless businessman when I want to." Janus icily listed.

Nemenaya was quickly unscrewing the vibrator and tossed it inside of the suitcase while she picked some essentials and began to rush down the stairs to the ground floor.

"Fuck!"

She exited through the rear door and kicked it closed: she then ran down the street and spotted a bus stand and the bus coming: she climbed on it and sat down on a seat.

"Farewell." Janus finished.

"… Police! Open up!"

Two policemen along with Netto and Hikawa were standing in front of the house's front door.

"Open up!"

One of them checked the door: it was badly closed and it opened: they crept inside while they drew their guns.

"Check the 1st floor." One of them told his partner.

"Roger."

The first of them swept the ground floor and found nothing at all: his partner came down.

"I'm afraid we were a bit too late: it looks like they've fled in a rush. But there's an important piece of evidence. We need to call the guys from the CSI and have them collect fingerprints." He announced.

"Excuse me! Did you find any note, paper or writing? It could be a hint to the owner's whereabouts." Netto asked.

"Yeah. I found this…" The policeman admitted.

He handed Netto a paper and he picked it with a handkerchief so as to not to leave fingerprints on its surface.

"Until contract is closed, keep teal girl in the spot. Moving out of the house is a hassle."

"It'd seem the abducted owner is still somewhere in the house. Let's check it out." The policeman suggested.

They searched and spotted a closet door which seemed to be locked: they nodded and rammed into it until it gave way.

"There!"

The _real_ Anetta was sitting on the floor, having her ankles and wrists tied with cello tape and some of it over her mouth and eyes: she sported her usual clothes.

"… She seems to be unconscious."

"Let's take her to the clinic."

Netto and Hikawa sighed in relief: Anetta wasn't guilty of anything after all and she still was the friend they knew.

"… What a woman! Impersonating someone, approaching a man only to then torture him… I can't stand that type of woman: they're double-edged and led by lust. Just like that "Ice Queen" who was behind both Twilight and Kanou Shade… That woman sure was mad!"

"Yeah, yeah… We won't discuss these matters."

"That's why I agree with Silver Arrow's move…"

H had begun a discussion: B held his hands out as if signaling that he didn't want to get mixed on it and Emperor S was shrugging.

"Anyway… S! Have you checked up if it'll be possible to restore the Tribes' members?" H asked him.

"Yeah. I've gone on ahead while you two were training and restored Ox Fire DS, Phantom Black DS and both Grave Joker DS and Acid Ace DS. They shall take care of the rest. They are not remorseful or anything: they were glad to test out a new kind of foe." Emperor S admitted.

"… I apologize. But we shall have to narrate what happened during the 5 Years of Tyranny. It's the only way for them to solve the puzzle."

"… It doesn't matter. It's a painful topic, but… It explains why we are here right now. There's no other way around…" H muttered.

"… The 5 Years of Tyranny…" B muttered.

The atmosphere suddenly seemed to chill and turn frigid …


	25. Chapter 25: Emperor S

**Chapter 25: Emperor S**

16:56 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday October the 6th…

"… We've finally gotten all of the ten keys. It's taken us two days, but we can now launch an assault on the Great Sky Temple. We will acquire the final energy mass and run out of there before the black hole closes. But we will have to battle Emperor S and his two companions, too, so we shall realize the truth of this affair."

Yuuichirou was briefing the team while looking serious.

"Finally, we…" Netto muttered.

"… Will meet Emperor S…" Saito muttered.

"Let's go! Every second may be vital." Enzan rallied.

"O-oi! Wait a min! Don't go sans the "Light Armor": it's vital to fight this battle!" Obihiro ran in.

"Whoa. Finally… We'll take 0 HP of damage from the atmosphere exposition! Incredible…" Netto whistled in surprise.

"Everyone. Good luck." Hunter Man told them.

"Thank you."

The Navis installed the final program and looked at each other: the final battle awaited them.

"The time has come!" Knight Man exclaimed.

"To curse them… Heh, heh, heh, heh." Shadow Man chuckled.

"Oh come on." Needle Man looked skeptical.

"I don't see the point." Laser Man muttered.

"Like there is any." Gyro Man grumbled.

"Yeah. There's none." Magnet Man fumed.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… Let's go to curse them, yes…"

17:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright. We've arrived here…"

The team was standing in the plaza beneath the Great Sky Temple.

"Excellent. Let the keys open this up." Emperor S greeted.

The ten keys flew towards their keyholes and the grooves in the columns lighted up: the whole circle descended and formed a new rim around the plaza.

"Wow."

A red circle on the middle of the plaza shot a beam of light skywards towards the base of the building.

"However! Only 3 of you can come in: Rock Man. Blues. Roll – san. You're the VIP guests of today. We'll extend the red carpet to you three. Heh, heh, heh!" Emperor S announced.

"… I guess 13 VS 3 would be somewhat unfair even if they're stronger than the foes we've battle insofar… They must want an honorific one-on-one duel." Blues guessed.

"I don't care: it sounds fair enough." Roll announced.

"I suppose no harm will come upon our companions while they wait here?" Rock Man questioned.

"No. They can wait down there: they'll get no damage at all, anyway. Let them chose." Emperor S replied.

"We will wait!" Search Man announced.

"Yeah!" Everyone announced.

"… Thank you. Everyone." Rock Man smiled.

"We're going." Roll added.

"Let's go!" Blues announced.

"Yeah! To the decisive battle…!"

Each of them stepped into the beam and quickly rode towards the insides of the building: it then stopped with a loud hum and the patterns on the plaza's ground began to glow with an intermittent glow.

"The system has gone into reserve mode to be engaged anytime, it'd seem." Obihiro commented.

"Good luck!" Everyone announced.

"… Are we inside?"

The three of them entered a round, tall and empty room and realized that they had entered the room through an open generator device: there was a glass circle on the ground which allowed one to look directly down into the plaza.

"Yikes. You better not have vertigo." Rock Man muttered.

However, the architecture was clearly different, since the generator device didn't have the hexagonal container above of it: the room had several curved large black metallic ledges set at different intervals which climbed upwards towards somewhere out of sight.

"Whoa."

The walls also had three circles facing north, east and west which had had to be the spots from where the sub-generators had sent their energy to feed the main generator.

"I guess the throne room must be above us." Blues guessed.

"Let's climb up, then." Roll suggested.

"I'll take rear just in case." Rock Man announced.

They climbed up through the ledges and crossed an archway which seemed to once have held a gate of sorts, but it had been removed time ago, judging from the marks.

"Suspicious: almost as if they'd forced their way in." Rock Man frowned.

"_Very_. Reeks of a desperate race to get deeper in…" Blues confirmed.

They walked down a corridor and spotted some wood doors set at both sides of it as well as the circular metallic door: the wooden doors were protected by an energy field colored purple

"Please head ahead." Emperor S requested.

The group reached a metallic circular door which split into two and slid into the slots built into the walls: the group stepped into the throne room and gasped upon seeing B and H standing next to it.

"Those two must be B and H." Blues guessed.

"So! The one in the throne has gotta be Emperor S." Roll guessed.

"We finally meet, it'd seem." Rock Man announced.

"Heh. Hikari Saito… Roll – san… Blues. Welcome to our Sky View Room: the central spot of this world." Emperor S greeted.

"How about you show your faces?" Rock Man challenged.

"Heh. Why not… I'll go first." H announced.

She removed her hood and showed that she had reddish-colored hair and her eyes' irises were red.

She looked on her mid-teens, about fifteen or sixteen years old and had a smug smile on her face.

"Name me Kagehi Somari." She announced.

"My turn."

B also lowered his hood.

He had white unkempt hair and a pattern which looked a trail of lighting painted on his right cheek, running down from below the eye: his irises were also red.

He wore two strange pendants reminiscent of an ancient culture which were attached to his ears.

He also looked around fifteen or sixteen years old.

"I am Kuroumi Solo." He announced.

The throne turned and they gasped.

"Surprise, surprise."

Emperor S was of the same age as the other two.

His hair was colored silver and had a messy style to it while his eyes' irises were a mix of red and golden.

He wore a simple black tunic with a shooting star emblem colored purple placed on the exact center of the tunic's torso: he sported black leather boots and black leather gloves.

A purple cape hung from the back of his shoulders and reached all the way to the feet.

"Yamikawa Saruba." He announced.

"B-but… Then why did they use the initials B and H?" Rock Man asked of them.

"That's because we have a battle form. Going by the "S" on our names would be hard to distinguish us, so…" Somari shrugged.

"We pick up the initial of our battle forms." Solo shrugged.

"But I go by my first name's initial instead." Saruba added.

"Then, the reason for the distorter was…! You didn't want to us to realize that you haven't aged in 15 years…?" Netto gasped.

"And guess why." Saruba challenged.

"…"Spectrum"…!" Saito gasped.

"Yeah. "Spectrum". That's where all began!" Saruba announced as he leant forward.

"Hmpf. Saito. You travelled 20 years back in time when Shade Man attempted to rewrite history." Solo began.

"Yeah… That's true."

"Didn't you emerge close to a "sea" which was in truth a bug anomaly caused by the failure of the "Spectrum Experiment"? The "endless edge", as it was named by Colonel EXE…"

"Yeah. Was that the inspiration to build this place?" Saito admitted before guessing.

"Correct. There was once a man… Let's name them "Ruler" for the time being. That man was conscripted to the "Spectrum Project". More than its capabilities to influence Time – Space, as discovered during the test day, he was interested in its original purpose of allowing humans to freely live in Cyber Space." Somari continued.

"But! There was a desire to rule everything and claim "immortality" behind the idea. Since the "Spectrum" Team was to be relocated because the project was being abandoned, he faked his death in a boat accident and everyone fell for it. He then lived in the KA – 222 Island alone and began working with the "Wily Program" and the computers installed on the facility but without trying to bring it to activation mode." Saruba explained next as he leant back on the throne and began to tap the right armrest while looking calm.

"The "Wily Program"…" Blues muttered.

"Fitting, wasn't it? After all… You guys later labeled it the "Dark Program" because of its sinister uses, didn't you?" Somari grinned.

"Five years passed by and the construction of the Dark Realm was concluded: everything was activated. However… The man had one last idea: he was already past his 30s, so he wouldn't look much like "eternal youth". He then decided to pick three guinea-pigs to complete his ambitions: us three!" Solo exclaimed.

"T-then…! You three are humans transformed into cybernetic data by using Spectrum's algorithms!" Netto gasped.

"Correct! We three: your everyday Japanese middle school students were picked." Saruba announced.

"Then… You knew "Ruler"…?" Roll guessed.

"Of course we did. But we believed him to be dead. Anyway… The man hired some thugs with the black money he'd amassed over those five years of making secretive and petty underground deals. That fateful day was July the 14th, 1991. That same night… We three had gathered at my home for one of our _amateur_ astronomy sessions and to discuss how we were gonna organize for the start of high school… The thugs broke in and drugged us three." Saruba made a grimace as he reached this point.

"They then brought us to KA – 222 Island by using a black chopper which flew low to avoid radar. "Ruler" paid them a large amount of black money and told them to get lost. He then split us into three separate devices built inside of bulletproof glass prisms. He sat on a metallic armchair set atop some steps and then began to boot the system to execute the last transfer. Before we could understand what was happening, our bodies were turned into cybernetic data and plunged into the Dark Realm via a tunnel which was opened… We were then scattered into each Temple and… and…" Solo continued before trailing off.

"That man…! He locked us on the basement dungeons! The fucking son of a bitch! That fool! That imbecile! That fucker! That bastard!" Somari made a grimace.

"Goodness!" The three of them gasped.

"The Tribe Leaders quickly realized that we'd been forced to take part into it, but they were forbidden to speak with us. They and their Tribe members were treated as mere slaves who had to do force labor such as building roads, tunnels, bridges and elevators. The "Guardians" were there to keep them under check, too." Solo explained with a growl.

"What the…!" Enzan cursed.

"You can see it: that man had no morale anymore. After the transfer, the system shut down and the tunnel was destroyed. A time bomb then took care of the control room which no one got to use anymore since Twilight came up with a different system altogether from scrap. But that's another tale." Somari scoffed.

"Then…" Saito muttered.

"Can you imagine it? Being a normal person and you suddenly find yourself locked in a dungeon which in turn is part of a gigantic cage which no one can find! The thought of being stuck there forever and the fear and confusion which accompanied it devoured our minds until we almost had a breakdown. I was ready to commit suicide and let it at all end: what point was there to life anyway? But the man had foreseen this: because we were cybernetic beings, we could be rebuilt and the whole process would begin again… It was nothing short of a living _Naraku_!" Saruba actually stood up and looked infuriated.

"… A living _Naraku_…" Netto muttered while being pale.

"But… The Tribe Leaders couldn't bear it anymore: they weren't there to be used. They had a will of their own, they could think, and, above all, they had honor. They couldn't bear seeing us suffering in that rat's hole, so they decided to screw the man and broke us free from it. They then made us realize something: we had infinite potential. If we tried to channel it into reality, we could build _anything_. That's where the idea for our combat forms came out from." Solo continued.

"We spent those large five years designing, training, learning from mistakes, improving and doing all we could to try to come up with enough power to stand up to the "Guardians". Even they had limits to their power and mass, but they were designed to keep on regenerating their power cores." Somari explained.

"Thus, I began work on the "R – Program". And that's why you saw the many upgrades and changes written into it. I was always calculating its energy consumption, output, the mass, the size and other variables. However, by now, the man had us be closed inside of the temples and we couldn't exit because the "Guardians" were there to stop us. We managed to assemble transmission devices to communicate between us and try to improve the calculations."

"And, finally, on August the 28th, 1996, a breakthrough was achieved: our power increased enough to destroy the power cores and then attack the new one as it regenerated. That forced them into shutdown mode and we finally were able to come out of the Temples." Solo explained.

"There was one last thing to do: depose "Ruler" and end that tyranny ruling over the Dark Realm. Only then we would be able to chose our own road and carve a better future for all of us inside of this world since there was no way out. The man had been engrossed into stirring terrorist incidents, mafias and organized crime all around the world by using the proxy Navis. He then was arrogant enough to issue a challenge."

"…"You want to kill me… Then go ahead and try it. You lowlifes will the ones to die and be cast into the Infinite _Naraku_." … Such was his challenge. But we knew better. We crept into this place on September the 5th, 1996, and I then tried to negotiate one last time. But he claimed that we were "defective guinea-pigs" and that his use for us had expired. Enraged, I plunged my sword through his body from behind and both Solo and Somari – chan plunged them from the front. I then decided to be ironic and told him "_Tu quouque, fili mi?"_… He was deleted and we made sure that nothing of his data remained. There was no other way around. That man had lost its humanity and had become a despicable criminal. I wouldn't see such another criminal for many years." Saruba concluded the tale.

"And thus… We named that period "The 5 Years of Tyranny". It's a taboo by unspoken code. We only brought it up for you guys to realize what we had to go through." Solo announced.

"Afterwards… We returned to the Temples and were going to live there with each Tribe while leaving this place empty. However… The warriors claimed that our power was great and fair. We would be able to guide them forward with it. Given how they requested of us, and how much we owned them, we accepted that request and I was named "Emperor" by them. However, we always come out and go spar and train with them from time to time." Saruba explained.

"And you then began monitoring the outside world to see what had happened during those 5 years…" Meiru guessed.

"… Wait a min. _"Tu quoque, fili mi_?"… It's commonly believed that Julius Caesar muttered that during his assassination on the Ides of March because his adoptive son Brutus was there… Then…?" Enzan gasped.

"… Yamikawa Danzero. That man… He was my father." Saruba looked at the ground.

"What!" All of the presents gasped.

"But…! What kind of _father_ would toss _his own son_ into a dungeon? What kind of father would he name his son "guinea – pig"? What kind of father would try to make us suffer forever? What kind of father would go and try to have us killed? Can such a man be labeled a "father"? Can it be labeled…? It cannot! It was a Demon… A tyrant!" Saruba roared as he stood up with obvious accumulated rage and hate.

The three of them stepped back, taken aback by the display.

"And remember one thing: my body is still 16 years old. But, mentally speaking, I'm 31 years old. Can you image how is it that your body never grows yet your mind evolves? "Eternal youth", that man called it? No! This isn't "eternal youth": it's a curse!" Saruba exclaimed.

He suddenly jumped down from the throne into ground level and swung his cape backwards.

"… I wouldn't normally think of making such a display. But realize something: this chance of opening up, even if it were to be closed again, would give us the opportunity for someone to know our sad and tragic history." Saruba seemed to have cooled down a bit.

"Saruba…" Solo called out.

"I know. The tale is over. But… You came here seeking the central energy mass. Didn't you guys?" Saruba switched to a serious mood.

"Yeah. But it wasn't in the generator downstairs. Yet, since the black hole is growing, it was to be _somewhere_." Saito admitted.

"That "somewhere" is… Inside of my body… You want it? Try to defeat me in battle." Saruba put up a smug smile.

"Finally… Some boilin' action!" Solo grinned.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh… Let's go~!"


	26. Chapter 26: Dark Ryuusei

**Chapter 26: Dark Ryuusei**

18:18 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday October the 6th…

"… Somari – chan. Do the honors."

"Tee, heh, heh. Battle Form: Engage!"

Somari was surrounded by a purple sphere of energy.

"Wow!"

Her new form, to begin with, had a purple-colored one-piece-bodysuit which extended until the hips and ended in a skirt-like form: two small curved objects were placed over her shoulders and the upper part of her bodysuit (extending from the shoulders until the chest) was colored black: it had no peculiar decoration drawn into its surface.

A blackened scarf was wrapped around her neck and it extended until the ground.

The helmet's main color was black and it had the same "broken heart" drawing was set on the forehead: two purple round button-like objects emerged from the sides of the head plus a purple band which formed the lower edge of the helmet: thick red-colored shades covered her eyes but exposed her nose.

Her reddish hair fell down the sides of her head and stopped slightly over the shoulders.

A red blood heart with a crack on the middle was set on the middle of her chest thus combining the upper half of her body with the bodysuit: two thin purple lines travelled down from the skull's SW and SE edges until the end of the bodysuit.

Her arms were covered by a combination of purple and black bands which extended until the wrists, which were covered by golden armor: it consisted of a thinner piece at the start plus a larger piece below it which had a small button drawn into the north side of it.

The hands' skin was tinted using purple coloring.

The space between the end of the bodysuit and the start of the knees had nothing on them but black "skin" covering it.

The boots' armor began at the knees with black armor having purple pyramid-like drawings set over them: the boots had no peculiar decoration whatsoever and they ended in white edges on the very front of them.

"In this form I am known as Harp Note DS! The reason I used the "H" initial was because I picked it from "Harp", ya see." She smugly announced.

"It's your turn, Solo." Saruba announced.

"O.K. Battle Form: Engage!"

Solo's new form had a helmet which had been painted using a black and red color-scheme: it was a partial guard given how it revealed his hair in its entirety which was flying straight upwards in a wild and chaotic manner.

The helmet too bore a pair of transparent purple shapes and having the shape of the Alphabet letter "X" which seemed to be layered across his helmet while his throat was guarded by a silver neck-guard, somewhat similar to a gorget: his ear-pads were small greenish domes.

He wore a smooth and plain black cat suit which began at his jaw line with his robe's emblem drawn over his chest while now being colored in a crimson red color: the catsuit ran uninterrupted along each limb until reaching the elbows and knees.

Starting from those spots, and, with the exception of his right arm, they were further covered in solid-looking black armor: and this black armor was further alloyed with a red slotted coil with a single red spine forming around the left wrist plus the feet ankles.

He also bore two knobbed spaulders made of what seemingly was the same material over his shoulders to protect them.

His right arm, by comparison, bore a thick black bracelet circling around the wrist.

The device turned his right fist and forearm into a mass of burning purple flames the brightness of which was constantly shifting.

"In this form I am known as Burai DS. My initial "B" was drawn from this name." He announced.

"My turn, then… Battle Form: Engage!"

His Battle Form wasn't too "spectacular" but the design was a bit elaborated: purple was the dominant color.

The helmet had a black central stripe with a bronze-colored hexagon set there and a small "V" piece slightly beneath that: the sides of it were colored purple and had two small square holes near the ear-pads which were colored blood red and had a bronze edge: two triangles emerged from the SW and NE positions but the second was larger.

Reddish transparent shades covered his eyes and allowed one to see his golden and red irises-eyes below them: most of his face was exposed but the SW triangle provided slight protection for the sides: his silver hair flew out from behind while forming a crest.

His chest had a small square plate with a curved lower end which had that shooting star emblem set there: apart from that the rest of the chest lacked any important armor.

The shoulder plates were divided into six stripes: three per each shoulder's half with the two central ones being colored silver and the outer ones purple: a black stripe crossing through the central stripes contained a glowing bronze energy pattern there.

The forearms had two curved extensions coming out from the under-side and began as a thick circle which then gave way to a thinner cylinder and a gray band around the wrist: his hands' skin was black.

Two parallel golden lines travelled down the sides of each body and ended at around the knees where his boots began at.

His boots contained a flap-like extension having a purplish energy pathway cut through them.

They began as thick but then lost some thickness and ended in metallic soils: a small piece shaped like a triangle was set over where the feet were at and leaving a small gap which could be used for the air to come in.

Lastly, two slightly curved flaps were attached to behind him: they had an outer bronze edge and an inner purple body.

"This is my combat form… Dark Ryuusei!" He announced with a broad smile.

"Whoa. Battle Forms… They look powerful." Netto muttered.

"Wait a min. Then what was the "Ryuusei Form"?" Saito asked.

"Oh? That? I gave the design to "Golden Star", yeah. I tried combining traits from Acid Ace DS and Grave Joker DS but largely using Acid Ace DS as a basis… A little experiment: so as to say. But this has always been my battle form. The program was designed to maximize my power…"

"Ah. So it was an upgrade."

"Yeah. Well! Anyway… Chit-chat time's over, so… Let's go~!" Dark Ryuusei exclaimed.

"Shock Note!"

Harp Note DS materialized a guitar colored blood red and swung the cords to produce some musical notes which she shot at Roll.

"Burai Sword!"

Burai DS suddenly drew a sword from _inside_ of his right flaming fist and brandished the thing.

This sword had a reddish hilt with yellowish ends: the blade had an indentation running across most of its height which began as a thin cone-like form, spread into a circle having a greenish dot in the middle, and ended close to the edge: the blade was shaped like a trapeze with diagonal sides and had some grade of thickness to it unlike _katana_ or normal swords.

"Sword Fighter X!"

Dark Ryuusei drew those red-colored indented blades which Sergei had used from time to time over both of his forearms and rushed for Saito while having a broad grin on his face.

"Heart Slash!"

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable Sword! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Aqua Blade! Slot In!"

Roll battled Harp Note DS and Blues took on Burai DS while Rock Man took on Dark Ryuusei.

"Well. If there's one little flaw to having the energy mass within my body, it is… I can't engage the "R – Program" to unleash those powerful attacks into you… But I don't need it to beat you, Hikari Saito." Dark Ryuusei admitted as they struggled on the deadlock.

"What!" Saito gasped.

"Aqua Tower!"

"Machinegun String!"

Roll used the Aqua Tower, but Harp Note DS hit her guitar's cords: they suddenly detached and shot forward towards Roll: she gasped and dodged by rolling across the ground.

"Sonic Boom!"

"Burai Break!"

Blues shot the Sonic Boom, but Burai DS stood his ground and swept the sword in a wide horizontal arch, bouncing the Sonic Boom off and forcing Blues to duck as it shot past him and crashed upon a wall, leaving a small burn mark on it.

"Battle Chip, Elec Blade! Slot In!"

"Edogiri Blade X!"

Rock Man and Dark Ryuusei locked blades: Dark Ryuusei jumped backwards and then ran towards Rock Man from the right.

"Huh!"

"Heh!"

Following instinct, Rock Man veered to the left, but Dark Ryuusei changed directions at that precise moment and stabbed his left shoulder: Rock Man hissed from the pain.

"Uck!"

"Hmpf." Dark Ryuusei grinned.

"Che." Rock Man scoffed.

"Oh! That reminds me… There's something which interests me regarding you apart from your origins: the "Ultimate Program"!" Dark Ryuusei suddenly announced.

"What?" Rock Man gasped.

"If I were to fuse it with the energy mass, I could split three segments off it and reboot the sub-generators." Dark Ryuusei announced.

"Not a blasted chance! I'm not gonna let ya get your hands on my "Ultimate Program"!" Rock Man scowled.

_Forte had a good reason for wanting to use it and I DID let him use it. But that was because if not, the world would've been destroyed by Nebula Grey! I'm not gonna let this creepy dude make the whole Cyber World be swallowed up inside of this place! _

"I knew that. But if I can defeat you, then I shall be taking it. Our territories shall expand and we shall fill all those empty spots there and there. But since they'd be inside of the "safe zones", no one would die, anyway to begin with."

"Che! I won't let anyone be trapped inside of this place."

"Hmpf. Then prove your power." Dark Ryuusei challenged.

"Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!" Netto announced.

"GRUA~H!"

Rock Man assumed his bestialize form and readied his claws while Dark Ryuusei merely smiled.

"Greiga Claw!"

Rock Man attacked Dark Ryuusei: he could seem to predict each of his quick moves, since he always was one step away and executing the slight changes in angle, position and orientation to dodge all of Rock Man's attacks.

"W-what?" He gasped.

"Hmpf. That happened because you took me too lightly." Dark Ryuusei grinned.

Rock Man tried shooting out fire next, but Dark Ryuusei jumped into the air and performed an acrobatic flip until he landed two meters ahead of him in a graceful manner.

"Damn." Netto hissed.

"Sonic Boom!"

"Flying Knuckles!"

Blues tried shooting the Sonic Boom again: Burai DS aimed his right fist forward and several copies of it materialized while flying towards Blues: he got hit by all of them and kicked into the floor.

"Swords ain't my only specialty, Blues." He announced with a smug smile and sounding amused.

"Damn." Blues growled.

"We need another approach." Enzan muttered.

"Guitar Swing!"

"Long Sword!"

Harp Note DS swung her guitar and broke Roll's Long Sword, to her surprise: she then kicked her on the stomach area and sent her flying and crashing hard against the ground.

"You're holding back. You won't survive like that. We women must strike back with all we have to survive in this cruel world. Even the creation myths place us at an inferior position." She announced.

"Che…" Roll grumbled.

"Competency…" Meiru grumbled.

"Tee, heh, heh… Competency, you say? Didn't I say it? I've lost all "sensual" interest on people time ago." Harp Note DS giggled.

"Break Saber X!"

Dark Ryuusei took out a needle with a spiral built around its body which looked menacing.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!"

Rock Man assumed the second form and shot into the air.

"Feather Shoot!"

Dark Ryuusei quickly calculated where the feathers would land at, so he gracefully dodged them and then jumped into the air above Rock Man: he gasped.

"Take this!"

He tried to plunge his weapon into Rock Man, but he flew backwards and Dark Ryuusei landed on the ground.

"Falzer Claw!"

Rock Man shot towards him and Dark Ryuusei jumped into the air: Rock Man then plunged his claw into his upper torso while Dark Ryuusei's weapon plunged into the right wing: he landed on the ground while looking at the wound: Rock Man flew back into the air to get away from the guy.

"Che. Hmpf." He grumbled but grinned.

It suddenly seemed to regenerate and disappear: both Netto and Rock Man gasped.

"We replicated the Guardian's ability: slight wounds are immediately healed while major ones take some hours to heal." Dark Ryuusei announced while shrugging.

"Che. We're not getting anywhere!" Netto cursed.

"Netto – kun! Program Advance!"

"Okay! Program Advance! Battle Chip, Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

Rock Man aimed the weapon at Dark Ryuusei who merely grinned and seemed ready to dash forward.

"Shoot!"

He shot the blast and it hit Dark Ryuusei, causing a cloud of smoke and an explosion to ensue. Smoke lingered around the spot.

"Did that do it?" Netto wondered.

"Heh, heh, heh…"

"No way!" Rock Man gasped.

Dark Ryuusei calmly walked out of the smoke while having only some slight burn marks on some spots of his body: Rock Man panted and reverted out of "Falzer" form while dropping into his knees.

"D-damn… Doing a Program Advance while… Bestialized… takes more energy… than usual…" He muttered.

"Is that all? Saito? It would seem you weren't ready for an opponent like me. Hey… But not even four on one managed to scratch Slur, even. You did manage to inflict some slight damage, so you can't call this unfair!"

"… Burai Sword!"

Burai DS' attack hit Blues even if he tried to shield himself with the Neo Variable and kicked him into the ground.

"W-why, you…!" He cursed.

"… Shock Note!"

"Ya~h!"

Harp Note DS materialized two speakers' box and cause two sonic waves which knocked Roll into the ground.

"Ugh…" She groaned.

"Hmpf." Harp Note DS grinned.

Dark Ryuusei calmly walked towards Rock Man as he tried to stand up and drew the Rock Buster to try to keep him at bay.

"S-stay away…!" He cursed.

"Hmpf." Dark Ryuusei merely grinned.

He cancelled the Break Saber and extended his right palm forward: it emitted some kind of vibrations: Saito clutched his head and collapsed into his knees.

"M-my head feels like… a thousand drums… are echoing inside of it…! W-what's going on…?" He muttered.

"Heh. I studied a bit of ultrasounds. You're seeing the results of my little experiments with them." Dark Ryuusei announced.

Rock Man suddenly began to glow with a bright yellow aura and began to stand up.

"What?" Dark Ryuusei gasped, for once.

"… You forgot something… It isn't just me or otouto… When using the power of bonds… We can become as strong as a hundred persons… We can…" He muttered before he trailed off.

He lifted his gaze: his eyes were now a mix of emerald green and chestnut brown: he then took out the Rock Buster and began to charge it up while aiming towards Dark Ryuusei.

"… We can achieve _infinite power_!" Both he and Netto exclaimed in a simultaneous manner.

"What!" Dark Ryuusei and the other two gasped.

"CHARGE SHOT! GO~!" Both announced.

The blast shot and impacted Dark Ryuusei fully: an explosion ensued followed by a cry of agony and the THUD of something hitting the ground in a hard manner.

"SARUBA!" Both Burai DS and Harp Note DS gasped.

The smoke cleared: Dark Ryuusei was lying with his back on the floor and clearly beaten given the large amount of bruises and wounds on his body and how he was panting to regain breath: a big orb of yellowish energy floated some centimeters above him.

"That's…!" Netto gasped.

"The central energy mass…!" Saito gasped.

Both warriors crouched next to Dark Ryuusei as he struggled to sit up and panted.

"I-I'm okay… I just… experienced… a power which we never imagined of… the power of bonds… I should've remembered from… back when… their battle with Umbra… in Duo's Comet…" He announced while trying to regain his breath.

"… Even you were beaten by such a power… It'd seem we've neglected the existence of other powers, then…" Burai DS muttered.

"What incredible power… And we were dwelling with our power, each trying to work alone without support from the others…" Harp Note DS muttered.

"Ah… Heh, heh, heh… Man… I hadn't had a thrill like this… for over a decade… I lose. Saito! You're clearly strong. Take the energy: you've deserved it." Dark Ryuusei told him.

"… Okay. I'll take it, then." Rock Man calmly replied.

He walked over it and began to suck it in into his body: the sky turned blood red and the blue column of light to the south vanished.

"It's begun to collapse?" He wondered.

"… The black hole is going to collapse… But don't fret: I've unlocked the last exit directly north of the plaza… It leads straight to the Science Labs, so… Farewell! Hikari Brothers!" Dark Ryuusei announced.

"Ugh… I gotta improve my technique, then…" Blues muttered with a hint of sarcasm as he stood up.

"Hey. But ya weren't half-bad." Burai DS told him.

"Now I know… how to beat up… the competency!" Roll muttered as she stood up next.

"I'd rather say you'll have to rely on Tiffany Case." Harp Note DS enigmatically told her.

"Farewell, Yamikawa Saruba." Both Netto and Saito announced.

"Go." He merely replied.

The group of three ran out and down into the main room: the yellow beam was working again: they stepped into it and were transported into the plaza: the system shut down immediately afterwards.

"We heard everything. Let's escape!" Search Man announced.

They ran northwards towards the portal set in an alcove built on the plaza's north end and jumped inside of its mass.

"Quick!"

The group exited into the Science Labs' main Cyber World and spotted how the portal emitted purple streaks of light before it grew bigger and then collapsed just like a supernova.

"Whoa! The black hole is closing at a mad speed of three hundred meters per second! It'll take over twelve hours, but… It'll close and disappear."

"… We did it…" Rock Man made a weak smile.

He, Blues and Roll collapsed into the ground from tiredness and their companions tended to them.

"You need some rest, Saito. But make sure to free the energy."

"Roger…"

He aimed the Rock Buster at the air and loaded it up during some seconds to expel the energy from his body and into the sphere.

"Charge… Shot…!"

The energy flew out and split into several segments which travelled into various directions.

"Plug Out!" The three Operators announced.

"Everyone. Good work. The Black Hole Area Crisis is over." Yuuichirou told them.

"Yet… Silver Arrow remains to be tackled." Meijin remembered them.

"… I'd say we rest for what's left of today: it's already over eight in the evening!" Netto suggested.

"What are we going to do with these programs?" Blues asked.

"We'll uninstall them but keep them under storage: they might be useful to be improved in some form or another." Yuuichirou announced.

"Heh… Meiru – chan! Let's go seek Ms. Tifanny Case and ask her how to beat the competency!" Roll told her.

"Yeah. Maybe we'll need to be serious." Meiru made a sinister smile as she glared at Netto.

"Oi, oi! Quit the mood: that's not something you must joke about!" Netto told them.

"Yeah. Sakurai. You could try being realistic." Enzan told her.

"Oh? When haven't I been serious?" Meiru asked.

"Like when you recklessly materialized Roll to charge against "Zoan" Cloud Man's army…" Enzan told her with a skeptical look.

"Hmmm!" Meiru muttered.

20:20 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Whoa. Cousin Netto was able to bring out his full power when synchronizing with Cousin Saito and they even managed to defeat Emperor S – sama…!"

"Crap. I'd forgotten they could do that."

Ivan and Sergei looked baffled upon reading a report over the computer's LCD screen.

"Damn. I guess we'll have to think of a way to distract him if we were to battle so that he can't concentrate and bring out that power again: that'd be bad." Ivan grumbled.

"Yeah. We need to come up with something original to stall for time: the "Project" needs still a while to complete even at its current speed." Sergei rolled his eyes.

"What should we do with the freelancers, though, _big bro_? Do we cut them loose and handle everything on our own?"

"I'm getting tired of having to show up to back them up. Cut them loose except for Riva's Operator: she's still useful, _lil bro_." Sergei decided while nodding in agreement.

"Good. Besides… We can always threaten to silence them if they tried to speak about the HQ's location."

"Hmpf. If we don't behave in a serious manner, then we won't be remembered with enough terror and fear. Our goal is to make our name be remembered and feared. And we'll use whatever means necessary to achieve it." Sergei made a smug smile.

"Yeah. And I'm starting to think of a little plan… But we'll firstly treat them to some useful and expendable pawns…"

"Heh, heh, heh… Everything… For Silver Arrow! Delete!"

"Delete!"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"


	27. Chapter 27: Roof Conflict

**Chapter 27: Roof Conflict**

11:03 AM (Japan Time), Thursday October the 2nd…

"… How are you faring, Tooru – kun? Are you recovering?"

"More or less…"

Netto was speaking with Hikawa during break time and he looked rather sleepy: he seemingly hadn't slept well.

"Look: you were fortunate. It only happened once. I was fooled into taking part into that for over a month. I have managed to bury most of it but part of it can't be buried: it ends up engraved within your body. But you must be strong and resist." Netto told him.

"Huh… Thanks for the advice, Netto – kun. I'll try to be strong…" Hikawa made a weak smile.

"… By the way, Blues…"

"What's up?"

Blues had come to speak with Saito in the meanwhile and Saito looked around to make sure no – one overheard.

"… What was the point of that triangular wooden horse which the imposter forgot to take away?" He asked in a whisper.

"Damn. The triangular wooden horse…" Blues muttered.

"We didn't see anything weird with it…"

"That woman mustn't have had time to assemble it, but… Listen: it's known as the worst torture an S&M sadist can play on anyone, be it man or woman. But when it comes to men, it can become a terrific tool… Your friend was lucky escaping its clutches." Blues told him in a hushed tone and making sure no – one overheard.

"W-what?" Saito gasped.

"… We saw a video in the computer of another thug branch we rounded up… Two young men like you were being tortured with it…" Blues let out.

"… But… Did they lose their sanity?" Saito asked.

"It was close. The police caught them on the middle of it." Blues admitted with a hint of relief.

"… So… What happened? They used the infamous combo?" Saito asked next.

"Yeah. But they added more: they placed some small vibrators on the cock's head and on the nipples, summing up to a total of four. And they were seated in front of each other… A chain connected those rings on their necks and they then forced them to share a kiss the whole time as they struggled to remain sane given the four tools' vibrations. And the metallic upper edge dug into their skins too."

"How horrible!" Saito gasped in horror.

"Isn't it? Those lowlifes were making bets of how much they would endure before begging to be allowed to release when the police raided the place and shut everything off. Those two suffered major psychological damage and are still under psychological treatment. But it isn't too late: they can still recover." Blues explained.

"Then Tooru – kun was really fortunate…!" Saito nervously nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. He was. Forte contacted me: he and Freeze Man were able to wrap up several more branches with some of Raoul and Thunder Man's help. There are rewards on tips regarding their activities, so someone ends up leaking info to the police and they raid them." Blues explained.

"… Ah. How about we meet on Friday?" Saito asked.

"Good enough. I didn't want to scare you, Saito, but you must be aware of how cruel the world can be out there."

"… I understand. I'm growing up. I can't live away from the world anymore… I need to be ready to face whatever is out there." Saito nodded in agreement.

"My. Intriguing." A familiar voice rang out.

They both looked at a possessed Navi with rather unimpressed faces: they seemed to be used to that.

"Yo." Saruba greeted.

"… Yamikawa Saruba." Saito dully announced.

"What… You're the type to hold grudges?" Saruba teased.

"Dunno." Saito shrugged.

"So? What are you going to do, Yamikawa? You can't hope to fool us twice with the same show." Blues questioned.

"…"Watch and see", as they say in London…" Saruba teased.

"I'd rather say that you're stealing off mottos from the MI6, Saruba!" Solo announced from behind him.

"Very funny." Saruba drily replied.

"Yo! Blues. Guess what? You'd do a fine job when trying to get RAY's photos!" Solo told him.

"RAY?" Blues wondered.

"Don't mind Solo: he loves quoting stuff from games and films." Saruba told them.

"I'd rather say Silver Arrow would go by the S3 Plan." Solo teased.

"S3 Plan?" Saito asked.

"Selection for Social Sanity! In short: pick the sane guys and close the others in the asylum!" Solo laughed.

"That wasn't the point of such a plan, Solo!" Saruba protested.

"Lemme twist it around, Saruba. They look so dull that they haven't heard a good joke in ages." Solo told him.

"Man." Saruba complained.

"Very funny." Blues drily told them.

"… So!"

"So!"

"Ms. Case says you're dead."

"Ms. Case?"

They looked at Roll and Riva who looked about to start another of their quarrels.

"Yeah! "My God! You killed Riva"!" Roll quoted.

"… You edited the quote." Riva looked suspicious.

"Oh? Who knows?" Roll teased.

"You do."

"Oi, oi! There's a girl quarrel and you didn't call me? Wasn't I the one who referenced you to Ms. Case?" Somari suddenly came on air.

"Kagehi. This is between me and this fatty-faced competency." Roll drily told her.

"Kagehi?" Riva wondered.

"Yeah. Kagehi Somari. I am one of the three persons who were behind the black hole." She announced.

"Uh! And why are you here?" Riva gasped.

"I get the chance to interact with yet immature women and see how they behave compared to how it was back on my times." Somari sounded like she was shrugging.

"Cha! Who are cha callin' an "immature woman"? I'll let cha know that I'm…! Ugh!" Patricia began snapping only to shut up.

"That you're not a middle school student: you're a boyfriend thief using a lot of cheap make-up!" Meiru told her.

Blues seemed to lift his eyebrows under the shades and Saito seemed curious at his reaction.

"Hikari – kun! It's not too late! Tell the omen to get lost! Then we can still make it possible!" Levé told him.

"Omen…? What omen…?" Netto frowned.

"Hmmm! Cha! Cha copied that from me: the Yggdrasil Orbital Elevator's omen! Motto robber!" Meiru snapped.

"What!" Levé cursed.

"Motto robber? Why. Maybe I'll include in on my next song." Somari sounded amused.

"You're a singer?" Riva asked.

"_Amateur_." She quickly replied.

"… Excuse me. Riva. Your idol was named Sergei Ruufiki, right?" Blues suddenly asked her.

"Uh? Yeah! Patricia – chan used to adore him." Riva grinned.

"True, true! He debuted on _Expedition To Venus_!" Levé added.

"I looked it up." Blues let out.

The air seemed to chill all of sudden.

"There's never been any Sergei Ruufiki. And although there's a work named _Expedition Venus_, it's a book written by Hugh Walters." Blues continued.

The air seemed to be freezing, even.

"Aha – hah!" Roll exclaimed.

"Aha – hah!" Meiru exclaimed.

"Crap." Both Levé and Riva muttered.

"… Then, the "Sergei" you mentioned was…" Saito narrowed his eyes.

"Nakayami Sergei: that's who." Blues announced.

"What!" Netto gasped.

He stood up and confronted Levé with a serious look: she looked afraid and was stepping back, even.

"… Then… This person…!" Netto muttered.

"Spy." Blues announced.

"But I was correct on her not being a middle school student! She tries to fool people with that makeup. I'm sure she's a serial boyfriend thief and that must be why they hired her." Meiru grinned.

Levé quickly grabbed her backpack and ran off only to find the "NS" hologram in front of her noses and Enzan standing in the corridor while looking amused.

"_Game Over_." He announced.

Netto quickly blocked off the door and Levé recoiled until she met the wall.

"You're under arrest for the following charges: collaboration with a terrorist organization, official documentation faking and spying on a "Net Savior"." Enzan listed.

"_Strike_!" Someone suddenly announced.

Something hit Enzan with a lot of strength on the back of his skull: Sergei was there and had a baseball bat on his right hand.

"Sergei!" Netto, who'd come out of the classroom, cursed.

"Hiya, Cousin Netto. Sorry. But I'm busy." Sergei grinned.

He snapped his fingers and two of those walls formed to separate Netto and the knocked out Enzan from he and Patricia.

"Retrieve Riva." He commanded.

"R-roger! Plug Out!"

Riva returned into the Link PET and quickly brought up the firewall to stop anyone from entering its Cyber World: she sighed in relief and wiped some sweat off the face.

"Cousin Netto! I have a message from _lil bro_: we're gonna get serious once and for all! Have at ya!" Sergei announced.

He snapped again and a "Dimensional Converter" emerged from the ground in a 45º angle: it made its typical ignition sound and both he and Patricia were warped out of the corridor along with the walls.

"Damn." Netto cursed.

He quickly ran next to Enzan and checked on him.

"Oi! Enzan! Oi! Wake up!" Netto told him.

"Grah… Baseball bat…!" He cursed.

He managed to stand up with Netto's help and he rubbed the back of his skull.

"Enzan – sama! Are you alright?" Blues asked.

"Yeah… I am." Enzan confirmed.

"So?" Saito questioned the Navi.

"Oi, oi. I didn't know anything about this. It's not like I command Silver Arrow: they go their own way! Besides… They ended their part of the deal, so I've got no need to know all they do." Saruba replied.

"Che." Saito grumbled.

"If you wanna take out your bad mood, go ahead." Saruba invited.

"I'm not gonna attack an innocent Navi. When will you come out in person? Or better: when will you think of using 3D images to come out, huh?" Saito told them.

"… 3D image…? You mean like Twilight did on the tanker… Why not…? It could work." Saruba seemed to be thinking aloud.

"Get lost." Saito told him.

"Heh, heh, heh. Okay, Colonel Campbell." Solo chuckled.

The Navi was released while Saito frowned.

"Who is "Colonel Campbell"?" He wondered.

"Che. Anyway… I guess I'll be going to report to the Net Police HQ… See you tomorrow afternoon… I won't give you a break when it comes to the training!" Enzan grumbled before grinning.

"You know me: I don't hold back." Netto smiled at him.

"… Take care, Enzan – kun."

"Thanks, Sakurai. Blues! Return." Enzan replied.

"Roger, Enzan – sama. Take care, Saito. I won't hold back." Blues told him with a smile.

"Let's both work our best." Saito invited.

Enzan stepped away while both Netto and Meiru headed back inside of the classroom: Hikawa looked surprised.

"Whoa. Patricia – chan was a spy… What are we gonna tell the teachers, though?" Hikawa muttered before asking.

"She got ill." Netto shrugged.

"Yeah. No – one would believe it, anyway." Meiru rolled her eyes.

"… Hmpf. I can't live with such boredom. I need to increase my count and fame… Write your will, gnats."

Jim Marlongo was standing in a building opposite the street where the institute was at and aiming his sniper rifle at Netto's head: he had a smug smile on his face.

"Distance: 550 meters." Sniper Man automatically announced.

"Oi. You lowlifes. That's the great me's target."

"What?"

Marlongo looked at his left to see Sam Wizzy walking towards there while toying with scimitar.

"Wizzy." Marlongo grumbled.

"Marlongo. Hmpf. We get to compete again." Wizzy put up a smug smile as he toyed with the scimitar.

"You lowlife." Sniper Man hissed.

"Hmpf. That's my motto." Knife Man grinned.

"… I found you."

"No more hiding."

Both gasped as Miyabi and Gospel Shuryou dropped in front the taller right building's roof. Miyabi drew a _kunai_ and aimed it at Wizzy while Gospel had a metal rod on his right hand.

"Dark Miyabi!" Both growled.

"You lowlife!" Both snapped at Shadow Man.

"Hmpf. A rotten smell like that of you lowlifes… Would make flowers wither." He merely replied.

"I am Gospel Shuryou. And no – one is gonna die in _my_ watch." Gospel announced next.

"Wrong. You lowlife die: you _otaku_ cross - dressing freak!" Marlongo snapped at him.

He took out a service revolved, but Gospel was quicker and he kicked it and the rifled out of his hands with the steel rod and then seized his neck with one hand before throwing him into the ground to knock him out as he hit the concrete.

"Uack!"

Wizzy tried attacking Miyabi with the scimitar but he merely blocked it with the _kunai_ and threw some small explosives which generated smoke on exploding: Wizzy coughed and tried to cover his mouth with his right sleeve: Miyabi kicked the scimitar out of his hand and then lifted him by grabbing him by the chest area.

"_Game Over_." Both announced.

"True. Did I ever say you two were allowed to murder someone? Those are my targets." A voice rang out.

Sergei was standing on the building to the right and didn't look amused in the least.

"What! You're betraying me?" Wizzy demanded.

"No. You broke the contract clauses. It's extinguished as of today and you're jobless. The same thing goes for the other man. We know now that you freelancers are not reliable enough. Farewell." He dully announced while looking bored.

He vanished while several police cars parked on the street along with a police van: several policemen came up and arrested both men while Miyabi and Forte looked on.

"Miyabi! You lowlife! I shall remember this!" Wizzy cursed.

"Hmpf." Miyabi scoffed.

The two men were loaded into the van and the police then departed the area while both sighed in relief.

"Okay. We now know they're cutting their freelancers loose. But I doubt those two knowing the location of the hideout." Forte broke the silence and sounded slightly relieved.

"Yeah. But I'm sure we'll end up finding someone." Shadow Man shrugged.

"Hum. I'm off. Farewell." Miyabi announced.

He used his trick of the flash bomb to vanish and Forte dropped the rod as he headed downstairs.

_Let's go back to the base: there's work to be done. Maybe Freeze Man has good news. And if I had to guess, Miyabi will be having curry for lunch today… Heh, heh, heh_.

Forte chuckled under his breath and sounded relieved as he hummed the _Let It Be_ tune under his breath…


	28. Chapter 28: Relaxation

**Chapter 28: Relaxation**

16:55 PM (Japan Time), Friday October the 8th…

DING DONG

"… Coming!"

Haruka opened the door's house and spotted Enzan.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." He greeted.

"Oh! Enzan – kun. Welcome. You're going to train with Netto?" Haruka smiled.

"Yes, ma'am. I apologize for the intrusion."

"Don't mind it: come inside."

"Thank you very much."

Enzan stepped inside and then headed up the stairs: he knocked on the bedroom's door.

"Come in!"

Enzan stepped in and spotted Netto looking up from his homework: Saito was standing next to him and seemingly checking on it.

"Yo! Enzan. Welcome." Netto greeted with a smile.

"_Buruusu_. You look in a better mood today." Saito greeted.

"Obviously." Blues smiled.

"Working hard, I see." Enzan smiled.

"Of course! I take this year seriously. Anyway… This is done with, so let's move onto the next topic."

Enzan closed the door while Saito picked his Link PET and left it next to Netto's: Blues' hologram appeared and he came inside while Saito stretched.

"Have fun, otouto!"

He dematerialized and entered his own Link PET: Netto picked it and switched off the screen and the volume.

"Alright."

He then stood up and began to undress along with Enzan: they stopped once they were on their boxers and looked at each other's body.

"Heh. You keep on looking horny, Enzan." Netto teased in a hushed tone of voice.

"Heh. True." Enzan shrugged.

"I'm gonna have a sneak peek."

"Go ahead."

Netto grinned and lowered Enzan's boxers to reveal his slightly aroused cock: Netto teased the sack with his fingers before standing up.

"It's my turn now." Enzan grinned.

"Sure."

Enzan did the same and smiled upon seeing Netto's cock: there were some very faint traces of something having been tied there: Enzan shrugged and then stood up.

"Let's bet."

"Heh." Enzan looked amused.

Netto picked a coin from the desk.

"Tails."

"Heads."

Netto tossed it into the air and it fell down: he covered it with the left hand and slowly lifted it up.

"Heads. You win, Enzan, so you go first." Netto told him.

"Heh. I seem to be lucky at this stuff."

Netto simply climbed into the bed and spread his legs: Enzan sat down on his knees on the other end of the bed and lifted Netto's legs to pull him a bit closer.

"Here."

He then licked his right hand's middle finger and pushed it inside of Netto: he let out a small gasp and closed his eyes.

"Heh. This snaps you out of the tiredness."

"Yeah. It's good." Netto calmly replied.

Enzan moved the finger around and helped the muscles to loosen up: he quickly put a second finger inside and Netto tensed again: Enzan grinned and began to massage with the two of them.

"Here comes the third." He warned.

He placed the third one inside and Netto looked like he was starting to like this.

"I'm gonna go for the real stuff. Ya ready?"

"Go. I'm ready for anything."

Enzan shrugged and took out his fingers: he rubbed his cock until it got hard and began to push it into Netto's insides: he stopped once he got one third inside.

"I guess you must be itching for more."

"Yeah. Give me more, Enzan." Netto confirmed as he opened his eyes and grinned at him.

Enzan carefully pulled Netto towards him and stood once two thirds of the cock was inside: Netto breathed and slowly expired while articulating his fingers.

"Whoa. Maha taught you _yoga_ or what?"

"He gave me some advice since he thought I was under a lot of stress. It really relaxes me, truth to be told."

"Maybe you could teach me." Enzan invited.

"Heh, heh, heh."

Enzan finally pushed all the way inside and Netto remained in a calm manner as he smiled: he began opening and closing his hands while articulating his wrists.

"Prepare yourself, Yoga Disciple – kun." Enzan teased.

"You could patent it." Netto invited.

"Who knows?"

"You do, _Danna_."

Enzan chuckled and then began to pull out and push in at a slow but strong rhythmic: Netto looked like he was enjoying this: he was articulating his elbows and shoulders by now and he breathed in before he slowly expired.

"Heh, heh!"

Enzan began to increase his pace and he soon felt it coming: he closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and felt it rush out of his cock and fill Netto's insides: some of it slid out and down his cock, lubricating it.

"Heh. This feels good."

"Doesn't it?" Netto replied as he'd placed both hands behind his skull and looked amused.

Enzan pulled out and leant backwards to rest on the other end of the bed while Netto crawled across it until he stopped in front of Enzan's stiffened cock.

"Time to have a taste…"

He began to rub his fingers around it and smell it before he took out his tongue and began to pull the foreskin back to expose the head: he then licked the urethra and Enzan felt a shiver of pleasure go down his spine as he arched his body backwards.

"Ne… Netto!" He whispered.

Netto then began to take more of it inside of his mouth and calmly set himself a pace as he kept on licking it: Enzan helped him set a new pace and Netto followed it while using his fingers to tease his balls.

"Huh… You're improving at it…" Enzan complimented.

Netto merely nodded and increased the pace as Enzan held back his moans: he came to and filled Netto's mouth with his substance.

"… Oh… Blues… It's so good…"

"I'm glad of it, Saito."

Saito was "riding" on Blues' cock while he was lying on a bed: he'd left just the helmet and the shades on.

"Oh…! Oh…!"

Saito looked ecstatic as he pushed himself up and then slid down along the large cock while he also rubbed his own cock and played with his nipples.

"It'd seem you prefer to ride on my cock than me riding on yours… Why is that?"

"Uh-huh… I guess I'm the one who wants a thrill ride and… _Buruusu_'s cock is about 5cm larger than mine, so… I feel the difference." Saito admitted while he kept back his moans.

"… Ah. Yeah… I see…" Blues didn't sound too enthusiast.

"… _Buruusu_… You're angry with me?" Saito stopped while looking worried and repented.

"What? No! I could never be angry at you, Saito. You're my… best friend. If I could open so much, I owe it all to you. But… I can't help feel guilty of not having… tried to speak it before…"

"_Buruusu_… But… What is done is done… We can't go back and fix it: we can't change history."

"… Yeah. You're right. Sorry. Let's keep on, Saito. I guess you'll beat a new record."

"That's the _Buruusu_ I know."

Blues sat up and closed his arms around Saito's torso while he began a passionate kiss with him.

"Huh!"

Saito released and stained large patch of Blues' face and upper torso: Blues released into his insides next.

"Heh, heh."

Saito licked the liquid off Blues' face and began a new passionate kiss while sharing that fluid: they broke it but a string of saliva kept them linked together: they smiled and looked content.

"Ah… I feel so good!"

"Yeah. It helps me get a better mood, too."

Netto and Enzan were sharing the bed while being covered by the blankets up to just below the nipples: Netto had picked the left side while Enzan was on the right one: both of them had their hands placed behind their heads and were looking at the ceiling.

"So… You claim to be working on something, leave an executable running up, and then go out by the rear stairs without anyone noticing? That sounds like something taken out of spy movie, even." Netto commented with a smile.

"Yeah. And even if someone knew where I went to, they wouldn't find it surprising: they must actually believe it'd do well for me to open up to others." Enzan grinned.

"I really like you, Enzan. You're a nice guy."

"Thanks, Netto. You're also a unique person. I owe you a lot…"

"Heh, heh! I'm cool: I knew that."

"Yeah. Guess you are."

Enzan then suddenly changed positions to be on top of Netto and hugged him as he covered them with the blankets.

"… Ah… You like messing with my neat hair, eh _Buruusu_?"

"Heh. I know you have a habit of keeping it neat, Saito."

Saito was lying face down on the bed and leaning his head on the cushion while Blues was over him and teased him by playing with his hair: Saito didn't seem to mind the fact.

"_Buruusu_… I like you. I really do."

"I also like you, Saito." Blues confirmed.

"… Whoa! It's already half past six. Shouldn't you getting back before anyone drops by, Enzan?"

"Yeah… I got engrossed. Sorry."

Netto and Enzan were dressing up again and Enzan looked slightly nervous as he put on his red sleeveless jacket over his usual black sweater: he then used a finger to shake the strings of his hair and looked his usual serious self.

"Blues."

"Enzan – sama. Are we going to head back?" Blues asked as he projected out of his Link PET: he'd already activated his bodysuit again.

"Yeah. See you around, Netto."

"See ya, Enzan."

"Take care, _Buruusu_." Saito told him as he materialized.

"I know how to do that." Blues smiled.

Enzan headed downstairs and Haruka looked up from her magazine with a smile.

"It'd seem you trained a lot, Enzan – kun!" She commented.

"I apologize. We got side-carried and prolonged our stay… I am sorry for any problems which we may have caused." Enzan politely told her.

"You needn't worry, Enzan – kun. You're always welcome." Haruka told him.

"Thank you very much, ma'am. I shall be going. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon!"

Enzan stepped out of the house while humming a tune: he waved goodbye at the twins, who were standing in the balcony, and headed off as the sun descended below the horizon with a smile on his face.

_Heh. Netto is in high spirits. Silver Arrow must be running out of ideas by now!_ _Heh, heh, heh!_

"… There they go. But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I feel refreshed."

Netto and Saito headed back inside of the room and Saito sat down on a chair: Netto suddenly frowned and then smiled.

"… Otouto. You've come up with a prank of yours." Saito looked at Netto with a suspicious glare.

Netto merely ran into the closet and then came out while hiding something behind him.

"You're not gonna tell me it has something to do with ghosts…" Saito muttered.

Netto grinned and brought it out: a portable mirror: Saito gasped upon seeing how messy his hair had become as a result of Blues messing up with it.

"Heh, heh, heh! You look priceless, Saito – niisan!" Netto grinned.

"Gosh!"

Saito ran into the bathroom and quickly picked the comb to fix up his hair and make it recover his usual neatly combed style.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

_Buruusu…! He left and purposely left my hair like this…! Enzan must be teaching him some of his weird pranks! _He thought with a hint of annoyance.

He finally finished and sighed in relief: he then walked back into the bedroom to find Netto trying to muffle his laughter.

"Otouto. Did you and Enzan plot this?" He questioned.

"Heh, heh, heh! You looked priceless, I insist!" Netto chuckled.

"Jeez. That wasn't funny: I care about looking polite!" Saito grumbled.

_Huff! Enzan…! You can be a rather bad guy when you have the mood to go for that! Buruusu… I'll make a mess of your hair next!_

"… Eh… _Lil bro_… It'd seem we're having some complications."

"Complications, _big bro_?"

Ivan had been looking up something while drinking orange juice as Sergei materialized and looked nervous.

"It's about our freelancers… They want to band together and go causes some ruckuses out there… Well… Obviously, Knife Man and Sniper Man won't and Riva won't either 'cause we sent her elsewhere, but… The others seemed to have realized there were more people in the same condition and this is how they ended up banding together. The bad part is this: some of them actually know this place's location." Sergei listed with some frustration on his voice.

"Damn!"

BANG!

Ivan actually banged the desk and looked annoyed.

"If Oriol were to see me by now, he'd be scolding me a thousand times over." He grumbled.

"So? What do we do?"

"Let's pick the guys and girls who knew this place: I don't care about the others. We will need to bail them out: we could design a program which surveys them and engages when their HP fall down to dangerous levels and they're unable to fight back."

"It sounds like a good idea, _lil bro_… Maybe we'll have to think of how to fortify this place if they ended up finding the location." Sergei nodded in agreement.

"Damn. I should've hired them by the phone: it's safer! But I wanted to play the gallant, so… Shit. President Hades would be teaching me a million times over, too." Ivan growled.

"Guess so…" Sergei trailed off.

Ivan growled and Sergei sighed: they were in a tight spot.

"Work! Time to work! By damnation!"

Ivan began to type like mad into the computer while Sergei sat on the steps and picked a clipboard to start writing some notes and schematics while at the same time browsing something with the PET.

"Idiot! I'm an idiot!" Ivan cursed.

"Don't blame yourself: we just go lax."

"Fuck! I won't end up being laughed at!"

"That's what we're going to prevent, anyway." Sergei calmly replied while sighing.

"Those friggin' idiots… Those friggin' fuckers…! Why don't they kill themselves over the booty and leave me in peace?" He growled.

"Because there's no booty to begin with…"

"By damnation! Die! Die! DIE~!" He roared.

"Oh come on. Calm down or we won't get anywhere."

_Lovely. The last thing we needed. Now it'll be hard to cool him down: trouble after trouble…! I don't feel like kidding anymore!_


	29. Chapter 29: Unleashed Freelancers

**Chapter 29: Unleashed Freelancers**

09:29 AM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 9th…

"… Commissioner! We have reports of various simultaneous Navis causing incidents: they are Silver Arrow's freelancers!"

"Damn!"

Manabe came to report to Kifune, who looked like he was getting one of his bad mood moments.

"Mobilize all Net Navis: "Net Saviors" or civilians!" He commanded.

"Yes, sir! ASAP."

"… Heh! Ya set the explosives and I set fire to 'em. Good combo: ain't it, _aibou_?"

"Yeah! There's nothin' better than an incendiary combo."

Roast Man and Demolition Man were setting explosives: Roast Man then set them on fire to cause widespread destruction.

"Sonic Boom!"

"Scope Gun!"

Both attacks caught the two freelancer Net Navis off-guard and they had to shield themselves: Blues and Search Man appeared.

"The red punk…!" Roast Man cursed.

"The green punk…!" Demolition Man cursed.

"You lowlife. No – one shall rescue you lowlifes this time around." Blues announced.

"Give it up: you cannot stand up to us." Search Man added.

"Who's gonna give up at the very climax? Go! Roast Man!" Smokin' yelled.

"Go! Demolition Man! Demolish 'em up!" Mole commanded.

"Roastin' Flames!"

"Demolition Rolling!"

Roast Man drew his two flamethrowers and began to shoot fire towards Blues, who jumped into the air to dodge.

"Hmpf."

Demolition Man compacted into a sphere shape and rolled across the ground towards Search Man.

"Battle Chip, Tank Cannon! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball! Slot In!"

Search Man drew the Tank Cannon and shot one close-quarters shot to Demolition Man, pushing him back and making him crash against a nearby building while leaving a deep hit mark there.

"Uack!"

Blues threw the Ice Cannon Ball at Roast Man and his fire quickly became steam as he was frozen and trapped inside of an ice block.

"No way!" Smokin' gasped.

"Shit!" Mole cursed.

"Give it up!" Enzan commanded.

"You lose." Laika added.

Suddenly, though, a strange noise was heard and both Navis were automatically retrieved.

"Huh? I didn't touch anythin'!" Smokin' exclaimed.

"Dunno…" Mole muttered.

"… Scram." A distorted voice announced.

Both Operators quickly ran off while the "Net Saviors" growled.

"Damn. They pulled them out. They sure knew something." Enzan cursed.

"And they won't come out again anytime soon, either." Laika cursed.

09:35 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Armored Punch!"

"Napalm Bomb!"

Napalm Man was facing off against Armored Man in another of Internet City's districts.

"Nenjiro! Beat the guy up!" Nenji rallied.

"I AIN'T NENJIRO~!"

The Link PET suddenly heated up.

"Ouch, ouch! Hot, hot!"

"Hmpf. What a foolish combination." Armored Man taunted.

"Delete them." Breakez ordered.

"Roger."

"Vulcan Arm!"

"Hmpf."

The rounds bounced off his body while he made both fists glow and punched them into the ground.

"Beam Rain!"

Several steel beams materialized: they had a sharp and cutting edge on the lower end of them: they began to drop down and Napalm Man had to roll and jump to dodge them.

"Che! Oi! Nenji! Use a Battle Chip!" Napalm Man called out.

"Okay! Eh… Battle Chip, Magma Seed! Slot In!"

Napalm Man jumped into the air and tossed the Magma Seed at the ground, trapping Armored Man: he was suddenly retrieved and Napalm Man growled.

"Damn it! Ya coward! Face me if ya have the guts!"

09:41 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Needle Cannon!"

"Feather Storm!"

Needle Man was having a face-off with Hawk Man atop some of Internet City's buildings.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…"

Hawk Man opened his wings and began to beat them: a strong wind began to push Needle Man back while Hawk Man shot several sharp feathers towards him.

"Battle Chip, Dream Aura! Slot In!" Yuriko commanded.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah!"

The Dream Aura bounced all feathers off and Hawk Man cursed something under his breath.

"Needle Attack! Messy Shooting!"

Needle Man made his needles grow larger and delivered some quick and well-laid attacks on Hawk Man: he growled and stepped back while flying into the sky.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! So! Not so strong, eh?" He taunted.

"You barbarian…! Die!" Hawk Man roared.

He dived towards Needle Man, but he suddenly grinned: he'd been expecting such a move.

"Battle Chip, Custom Bolt! Slot In!"

"Custom Bolt!"

The attack hit Hawk Man and electrocuted him: he roared and then collapsed on a nearby rooftop while his body smoked and he cursed under his breath: he was also retrieved and Needle Man growled.

"Fuck 'em all!"

09:49 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Roll Arrow!"

"Battle Chip, Barrier! Slot In!"

The Roll Arrow bounced off the Barrier Agatha was using: she had a weird lust on her eyes and looked eager for something: the place was a warehouse somewhere in Internet City.

"Another boyfriend thief…! There's a plague of 'em!" Meiru cursed.

"Boyfriend thief…? Wrong." Atamane put up a smug smile.

"… Wait a min… Those glares… No way…" Meiru made a grimace.

"Yeah. Sharp instincts, little girl. You'll soon be part of my club." Atamane announced.

"No way! Roll! Beat that smug-faced Navi!" Meiru told her.

"O. K.!"

"Hmpf. Crave your grave: you'll soon wish you were dead." Agatha announced.

"Che. The Navi, too… Program Advance!" Meiru cursed.

"Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

The blast overpowered the Barrier and hit Agatha, who had to shield herself: she got some wounds and bruises, but she kept on looking in top shape.

"Playtime's over… Agatha! Be ready." Atamane announced.

"Roger! Tee, heh, heh, heh!"

Before she could move, though, she was retrieved and Atamane gasped.

"You lose! _Baka~_!"

09:53 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Shadow Blade!"

"Battle Chip, Shirahadori! Slot In!"

Shadow Man was facing Cecile in one of Internet City's alleyways: she stopped the Shadow Blade's attacks with her hands and grinned.

"Che. This woman is no _amateur_." He muttered.

"Hmpf."

Cecile jumped into the air and put some distance between her and Shadow Man.

"Battle Chip, Triple Bomb! Slot In!" Odoroida commanded.

The Triple Bomb exploded and Shadow Man stood there while looking unaffected.

"Hmpf."

"Battle Chip, Cannon Ball! Slot In!"

"Cannon Ball!"

The Cannon Ball hit him, too, but he didn't bother to counter.

"Now. Battle Chip, Muramasa Blade! Slot In!" Miyabi announced while looking amused.

"What!" Karina gasped.

"Muramasa Blade!"

Shadow Man's attack hit Cecile and she collided against a pile of empty containers: she cursed something under her breath and tried to stand up while ignoring her wounds.

"You cannot fool a _Sengoku Ninja_ family descendant." Miyabi grinned.

Cecile tried to run for Shadow Man but was forcibly retrieved.

"_Veni, Vidi, Vinci_."

09:58 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Tee, heh, heh."

"You!"

Rock Man was standing inside of another warehouse and Salome had showed up with a smug smile on her face.

"Nemenaya! You'll pay for torturing my friend!" Netto told her.

"Hmpf. Brag while you can, Hikari. My club awaits your flesh to exploit it and gain profits."

"Damn." Netto cursed.

"Craving your own grave, I see. Fine. I'll make this quick. Salome! You know the plan." Nemenaya told her.

"Roger, Mies – sama." Salome confirmed.

"… Gotta end this quick… Rock Man! Ready?" Netto muttered before calling out to him.

"Yeah! Go ahead, Netto – kun!" He confirmed.

"Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!"

"UWRA~H!"

"No way!" Salome cursed.

Rock Man assumed his "Greiga" form and readied his claws which glowed with a menacing glitter.

"Greiga Claw!"

He shot forward and tried to hit Salome, but a _chibi_ doll showed up and four _shuriken_ hit his back: the weight of them made him collapse on the ground.

"… Hmpf… Hah. "Fool me once, you're to shame. Fool me twice, I'm to shame." … The same trick won't work twice. Salome! Now!" Nemenaya muttered before commanding.

"Tee, heh, heh. Pain Chains!"

Some black-colored chains materialized and coiled around Rock Man's upper body, immobilizing him.

"What the…!" Netto cursed.

"Beast Breath!"

Rock Man tried attacking them, but they shone and an electrical discharge travelled down his body: he reverted out of "Greiga" form and made a grimace.

"Plug Out!" Netto commanded.

A beep sounded and the "ERROR" message showed up onscreen: Netto turned pale as he stood inside of the public phone cabin.

"Damn! I need backup!" He cursed.

He didn't spot a non-descript black wagon car parking on the emergency lane behind him.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh."

In the meanwhile, Salome began to use the heel of her right foot to hit the spot of Rock Man's privates: he closed his eyes and tried to hold back his gasps of pain.

"Tee, heh, heh. It'd seem that the pro sadist you met before trained you well. Your body is very responsive. You'll make good merchandise and we'll get high profits." Salome announced.

"… Damn. The phone and email doesn't work, either. That jerk's messed with it somehow. But I can't leave niisan there either!" Netto cursed in the meanwhile.

He didn't see Nemenaya walking towards him from behind and carrying a steel rod on her right hand.

"Calling on Missile~!"

"What the fuck?"

Suddenly though, a whistle rang out and Nemenaya spotted a small missile flying towards her: it hit the floor and caused a small explosion and a cloud of smoke.

"Huh! What…?"

Netto gasped and turned around: Wily was there with his robot cart and it had the missile launching tube open.

"Wily!" He gasped.

"I called for backup." He announced.

"Damn." Nemenaya cursed.

"That's as far as you come!"

Gospel jumped down from a nearby roof and loomed over Nemenya, who made a grimace.

"Ice Tower!"

Several Ice Towers popped out around Salome in a circle formation, making up a cage.

"What!" She cursed.

Freeze Man dropped down (while leaving his diamond to hover in mid-air), landed, and gripped the chains: they froze and they then broke: Rock Man quickly stood up and drew the Rock Buster.

"I owe you one, Freeze Man." He told him.

"We wouldn't let such lowlifes get away with it."

"I was close!" Salome cursed.

"Damn." Nemenaya cursed.

"Give it up." Gospel commanded.

Nemenaya suddenly jumped into the rail adjacent to the lane and used it as inertia to jump next to the wagon car: she quickly climbed inside and sped away.

"Wily! Shoot another missile!" Netto rallied.

"Sorry, but… The second tube broke and I still have to fix it." Wily admitted.

"Che! I'll be back!" Salome cursed.

She escaped: both Rock Man and Freeze Man made a grimace.

_Saito – niisan! We'll defeat that creep next time around!_

_Yeah! Such creeps don't deserve to roam free!_

"… Shit. The old man got in the way and so did that _otaku_ freak… Bah. I'll find another opportunity. No – one is lucky forever."

Nemenaya was cursing as she drove the wagon car away from the district and looked annoyed.

"… You're close to shattering my patience, Nemenaya Mies…" An angry voice rang out.

"W-whoa! Mies – sama…! S-Sergei is here!" Salome gasped.

"Damn." Nemenaya cursed.

"You messed with my rival. And I don't like that." Sergei told Salome while looking rather annoyed.

"Fool. Once you have a chance, you seize it." Nemenaya shot back.

"Hmpf. Then go seize someone else a thousand kilometers away from here: but no – one steals off my rival. I have my plans for him. Don't make me repeat things. Farewell." Sergei replied.

He swung his sword and warped out of the Link PET while Salome sighed in relief and Nemenaya cursed under her breath.

"… _Thank you_, Wily. And Gospel, too. I don't know what could've happened without you two."

"Heh, heh, heh. I'm somewhat of a stalker."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me, Dr. Wily."

Netto was speaking with Wily and Gospel: Wily looked somewhat amused while Gospel didn't seem to be surprised.

"I hid a tracer inside of the car. The police are already on its trail."

"Good! They won't be able to run away." Rock Man smiled.

"Yeah. That one's done for." Gospel announced.

"No – one falls for the same trick twice." Wily added.

"… WHAT?"

"Yeah. It was a very close thing."

"Damn."

"I know."

Netto had met up with Enzan on the Science Labs' locker room and he looked shocked by what Netto told him: Blues also looked angered while Saito sighed in relief.

"Well… Given how the police are on their trail by now, I'd say we can wrap this one up… We'd be pending Atamane: she seemingly is trying to target Sakurai." Enzan commented.

"Yeah. We must round up these sick people before they can inflict further pain to innocent people." Netto agreed on it.

"But I won't be fooled twice, either." Saito told Blues.

"Yeah. That's the spirit, Saito. I'm glad you're alright." Blues looked somewhat relieved.

"… So? What do you think of my idea, _lil bro_?"

"Hmmm… Yeah. Let Cousin Netto feed on his own powerlessness and leisurely be tempted by the _Dark Side_."

Sergei had returned to the server room and Ivan had exposed something to him: Sergei looked amused.

"DELETE!" Both exclaimed.


	30. Chapter 30: Betrayal

**Chapter 30: Betrayal**

16:49 PM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 9th…

"… So… The freelancers were going off alone but given how some of them might even know the location of Silver Arrow's HQ, that's why Sergei and Ivan bothered to help them escape…"

"Yeah. That's how it was."

A meeting of the "Net Saviors" was being conducted: Kifune had made a summary of the events and Enzan confirmed the summary.

"I got a call from a Metropolitan Police unit: they found the wagon car abandoned not too far from the train station. The culprit may have had a disguise given how she didn't show up on the CCTV footage of around the time the van got there given how its engine was still hot when the police found it… A search warrant has been posted and circulated to all of the stations the trains connect to as well as ports and airports. It has been deemed to be a dangerous criminal." Kifune explained.

"… Yeah. Dangerous doesn't truly describe that person. I'd rather say "psycho" instead." Netto calmly suggested.

"In any case… Silver Arrow is bound to make a move again. It must be working on something and most likely didn't welcome the ruckus their former hired freelancers have caused."

"Yeah. And they'll most likely go and pull another of their "original ideas" on us one day or another." Laika rolled his eyes.

"We will be working on posting warrants for the freelancers' Operators: it may help us get a lead on their whereabouts. This meeting is closed for today. Have a good afternoon."

He and Manabe stood up and calmly exited the room while Laika stretched a let out a yawn.

"Whoa. You were working until late, Laika?"

"No wonder." Enzan wasn't surprised.

"Yeah… I was trying to see if picking whatever was left of the "original ideas" would hint at the kind of equipment used to create them… If Silver Arrow uses custom equipment then it's easier to narrow down." Laika admitted.

"That's not a bad idea…" Meijin brought a hand to his chin.

"So? Did you find anything?" Enzan asked.

"I did. But it was only parts of a TXT file split into all of them. I managed to complete it and it read the following: "Steal something, turn it around, and it becomes a new symbol imposing fear. After a few years, it becomes extinct and a taboo. Try to guess what we're talking about, Laika – sama: the only hint we're gonna give out is "Buddy". Boil your brains until it becomes steam. Nakayami Brothers"…" Laika quoted.

"Another vague riddle… They surely copied it from the one Golden Star gave us… Wait. Steal, turn, a new symbol… A taboo… "Buddy"… I feel like they ring a bell somewhere." Enzan muttered.

"I tried several options but it's too vague." Search Man admitted.

"Yeah. No wonder…" Blues grumbled.

"And I doubt them leaking the place out." Rock Man added.

"I'm off for a coffee. I'll be back in a minute."

"I need some fresh air." Enzan added.

Both of them stepped out of the room and Netto stretched on the chair while Meijin looked something up on his Link PET: Yuuichirou took out his glasses and began to wipe them clean.

"Hmmm… Mail… From Makoto – kun… "Eat more salads"… Yeah. I really should, truth to be told…" Meijin muttered with a hint of defeatism.

He stood up and walked out while sighing, so Netto rummaged on his pockets and took out a street map: he unfolded it and began to look at it while frowning.

"What's up, Netto?" Yuuichirou asked.

"I feel like that of the "symbol" had something to do with a map… I'm trying to see if there's something… Oh! Could this be it?" Netto replied before he gasped and signaled something.

"Hmmm… A temple…?"

"Ah! The Japanese map symbol for temple… Remember! Germany "stole" it, turned it around and made of its symbol during the 30s and WWII! It's now a taboo there, but…" Rock Man gasped.

"I see… And "Buddy" must be a joke on Budha's name." Yuuichirou guessed while nodding in agreement.

"Maybe an abandoned temple could do as their hideout…? But… There could be tons of them. And they might have hijacked the power supply from somewhere so that they don't pay bills… But at least it's a start, anyway. We could then try to narrow them down by ownership." Netto suggested next before frowning.

"… Hmmm… I dunno if it's supposed to be close by or very far away… They could use "Dimensional Converters" to quickly travel from it to elsewhere, too…" Rock Man brought a hand to his chin.

BLAM!

"Huh… Uh…?"

Rock Man opened his mouth in surprise as pain invaded his body: his chest emblem had been pierced and a hole had formed on his chest emblem from behind.

"… Hmpf…"

He managed to look behind him and spot Hunter Man standing there with his shotgun smoking and having a smug smile on his face.

"You… why…?" He groaned.

His systems shut down due to the critical damage and he hit the ground face-down.

"… What was that sound?" Yuuichirou gasped.

"It sounded over the PET… Niisan? What's going on?" Netto asked as he picked it up.

He engaged the screen and gasped upon seeing the scenery.

"Hunter Man! What happened?" He asked.

"What happened…? Ain't it obvious?" He shot back.

"What?" Netto frowned.

"I shot him." He announced.

"WHAT? Have you gone mad? You're companions!" Netto shouted in disbelief.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… What bothersome foolish guys!" A voice rang out.

They both gasped: Obihiro was walking in and had removed his contacts thus revealing his red irises: he held his Link PET on one hand and was rummaging into his lab coat's left pocket with the other hand.

"Shun! What's this about?" Netto demanded.

"Hmpf. Strategy: Double Edge is a success." He announced.

"Double Edge…?" Yuuichirou asked.

"Yeah! I've been a double agent from the very start!" He exclaimed.

"Double agent…? No way!" Netto gasped.

"Yeah! Silver Arrow's most trusted member: Obihiro Shun!" He revealed with a broad grin.

The doors closed behind him and he stood there.

"W-what?" Both gasped.

"Hikari Netto! You are as _naïve _as Ivan and Sergei predicted. This operation was intended for you from the very start. It was my chance to shine and prove my intelligence… Otherwise, it'd been stuck at the useless education system forever. Why did Ayanokouji jump into your class while skipping one or two and, instead, I'm still stuck at 5th grade? Money!"

"What…?"

"Her filthy money helped make it happen! This system doesn't recognize geniuses who don't have such privileges… Silver Arrow's power will help me destroy it and build a new one in place!" He explained while making a smug smile.

"No way… This… can't be real…!" Netto grimly muttered.

"Ah… But it wouldn't be the same kind of fun if I didn't have a deadly surprise for you! Witness!"

Obihiro took out what he had inside of his left pocket: it looked like a "Dimensional Chip" having a golden diamond and some silver patterns around its body.

"This is an improvement over the "Dimensional Chip"… The "Materialization Chip"! Slot In!" Shun announced.

Hunter Man became data and disappeared from the Cyber World only to materialize in front of Obihiro and aim his shotgun at Netto's right arm.

"Heh."

BLAM!

"GROAH!"

The blast burned out the skin, revealing the muscles beneath it and provoking a massive loss of blood as the force propelled Netto into the far wall and he hit it with violence, getting knocked out: he slid into the ground and remained there.

"Bwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! The Demon Tribe wins! You won't be able to stand up to them anymore!"

"Hmpf." Hunter Man grinned.

"You lowlife…!" Yuuichirou cursed.

There was a vibration and one "Dimensional Converter" appeared from one of those holes in the ground.

"Farewell!"

It made its characteristic booting sound and began to shine: a white shaft of light surrounded both traitors.

"Be ruled by terror and fear!"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

The doors unlocked and Meijin, Enzan and Laika ran in while looking nervous: they'd obviously heard the commotion.

"NETTO!" Both Enzan and Laika gasped in horror.

"SAITO!" Blues and Search Man gasped.

"Netto – kun!"

"Netto!"

Yuuichirou crouched next to him and tried to reanimate him while Enzan and Laika quickly tended to him.

"Meijin! Bring as much bandage as you find! We have to stop the hemorrhage!" Laika commanded.

"R-roger!"

"Blues! Call the ambulance!"

"Roger, Enzan – sama!"

"Search Man! Tend to Saito."

"Roger, Laika – sama!"

Meijin quickly ran back in with two first aid kits: they brought out the bandages and applied several layers of them until the hemorrhage flow diminished.

"Damn. I'd never seen an uglier wound on my life. And I doubt it healing anytime soon."

"Shit." Search Man cursed.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he'll be unable to use that arm for a whole month… It shouldn't be much of a trouble to use the left to write and eat, but when it comes to handling the PET… He can't." Enzan exposed while making a grimace.

"Damn. They wanted to stop him from fighting them back…" Yuuichirou cursed.

"The ambulance will arrive in 5 minutes, Enzan – sama."

"Saito – kun's wound is critical, too. A large segment of his "Ultimate Program" is damaged and his Navi frame integrity is at a very dangerous limit… I'm starting up the repair program…" Meijin announced while cursing under his breath.

"Do your best, Meijin! I won't lose my son thrice!" Yuuichirou told him while clenching a fist.

"Your son, hakase…? But isn't that Netto – kun?" Meijin asked.

"… I've come to think of him as the other son I'd liked to have… That's why he's so autonomous and has this capability to evolve…" Yuuichirou admitted.

Enzan, however, looked at Netto and he assumed a worried expression while Blues hung his head down.

_I know the truth… Saito IS Hikari – hakase's son… Netto told it to me some days after the Pharaoh Man Incident was over, two years ago, and before he began his worldwide tour… He claimed that I deserved to know since we weren't rivals anymore… And I've kept the secret along with Blues._

The nurses came in and quickly placed Netto on a stretcher: they ran out and placed it inside of the ambulance.

"Please go ahead, Hikari – hakase. We shall come later on…."

"Thank you." Yuuichirou replied.

He climbed into the ambulance as well while the other three worriedly looked on as it was driven away.

"Damn. Obihiro Shun… I'll never let the lowlife get away with it: he tricked all of us and almost killed Netto and Saito!" Enzan growled.

"Let's search the guy's lab: there might some clue there!" Laika suggested to them.

"I'll supervise Saito – kun's repairs: I'll ring you two once they're completed." Meijin announced.

They ran back inside of the building: Meijin headed to the main repairs lab while Enzan and Laika checked the lab Obihiro had used: there was nothing out of place there.

"Search each square inch!"

"Yeah, I know, Enzan!"

Enzan began to search the litter while Laika searched the drawers: Blues and Search Man searched the local WLAN network's ports as well.

"A list of the all of the access key patterns… I guess they wanted these to hijack all of the Science Labs' doors." Enzan muttered as he checked a paper in the litter.

"Schematics of all floors, too. They could've placed something in one of them, even."

"Nothing seems to have been sent over the WLAN but Hunter Man could've deleted the registers." Blues announced.

"Yeah. They obviously did."

Both Navis didn't spot another possessed Navi spying on them from some distance.

"Hmpf."

The control over them was relinquished and the Navi collapsed into the ground without anyone noticing.

"Let's keep on searching: maybe there's something."

"Yeah. Scan Mode: On."

17:17 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmpf. Powerlessness… Why not…? When in powerlessness and desperation, you stake everything on something. That's what happened to us, anyway."

Saruba was looking at a holographic screen displaying the recorded contents and looked slightly amused.

"And I'm sure all was calculated so that they would survive to tell it… Who knows? Maybe they'll even tap into the _Dark Side_ and draw power from it to then use it on them… Heh, heh, heh. That'd be interesting to see but I rather doubt it from happening." He muttered.

"Yo! _Danna_. You're gonna become Darth Sidious?" Solo joked as he walked into the room.

"Wait a min. What did you just say, Solo?" Saruba looked at him.

"Huh? Darth Sidious…" Solo sounded surprised.

"Sidious… Vader… Hmmm…" Saruba looked thoughtful.

"Oi, oi… What are ya gonna do now?" Solo looked surprised.

"… I'm starting to prepare an ace-in-the-sleeve… Maybe I'll try a little something… But I'm not sure of it." Saruba teased.

"Oh? That sounds interesting." Solo grinned.

"Doesn't it? Oh. True, true… How are the reconstructions going like? Are all Tribes restored?" Saruba asked.

"Yeah. They all are on high spirits to have had some thrill." Solo confirmed with a grin.

"Heh, heh, heh… Then maybe they'll get some new thrill one day. But don't tell them: it's a premature idea. I need time to work on it."

"Roger. Then I'll be going to spar with Grave Joker DS for a while! True, true… You were able to use some of the Fortress' energy to reboot the generators and cause them to be interlinked…"

"Yeah, I know."

"And thanks to that we can now travel via the energy links from here to each Temple's generator room… That sure saves up a lot of time!" Solo commented.

"Yeah. And since this energy is "Dark" per se, it doesn't cause for our world to open up in the normal world. They won't find it."

"See ya, Solidus."

"For the last time! I'm not any of the _Les enfants terribles_!" Saruba sounded exasperated.

"Heh, heh, heh…"

Solo merely walked out while Saruba walked down from the throne and stood there while looking thoughtful.

"… I've got 2 candidates. Hmmm… And I think that I'll end up picking up the 2nd candidate. But time will tell. Heh, heh, heh…"

"Yo~!"

Somari suddenly showed up standing atop the throne and Saruba jumped to his feet to look behind him.

"Whoa! Somari – chan? When did you…?"

"Maybe a millisecond ago…?" She grinned.

"No way. We can't move _that_ fast." He argued back.

"Or maybe 15 seconds ago?"

"That's more believable."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. Maybe we need to take 8000 samples of an analog signal in one second? One sample every 125 _micro_ seconds."

"Well… Yeah. That's how the DSL tech works, anyway."

"Tee, heh, heh. I guess things are gonna be fun. Let's dance and raze a razor! Tee, heh, heh, heh!"


	31. Chapter 31: Powerlesness

**Chapter 31: Powerlessness**

19:29 PM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 9th…

"… Is that so? Thank goodness… We shall be going there. Thank you very much."

Meijin finished a call made to his Link PET: Enzan and Laika looked like they knew what it was about.

"The operation was a success: they managed to immobilize the arm to stop all blood flow… And since he happened to have those nanomachines, they will speed up the flesh's regeneration. But the blast and the subsequent hit did break one bone: it will have to heal at a natural rate before it can be used again. The medical team predicts that he will make a favorable recovery but that he will have to spend over one month with that arm immobilized." Meijin explained.

Blues and Search Man nodded and looked relieved: they then glanced at Saito's practically healed body and the white rings spiraling around his Navi frame.

"Regarding Saito – kun… I believe he could be healed in just another half an hour. He will be shocked, obviously enough, but I'm counting on you two to comfort him."

"Roger."

"We'll go to the hospital once Saito awakens."

"It was to be expected: we found nothing else on that guy's room after our search." Laika grumbled.

"Oh! Hikari – hakase did tell me that Netto – kun did get to crack the riddle: it means a temple."

"A temple…?"

"… Of course! Have a look at this map." Enzan gasped.

He brought out a street map and signaled one temple: Laika gasped and looked surprised.

"True…! Germany copied and turned around the symbol for "temple" during the 30s and WWII… This is what they meant!" He exclaimed in realization.

"Yeah. But we're gonna take a long time to narrow down the location given how they'll most likely camouflage it as good as Golden Star hid their HQ in that small Switzerland house."

"That can wait. We firstly need to check on Netto… We need to be there to support him: he's not going to have it easy to be forced to sit idle and not do anything." Laika switched topics.

"Yeah. I'll help him."

"Gosh! Meijin! What happened? What's all that blood there?" One scientist ran in.

"Well… It turns out that Hunter Man did that…"

"WHA~T? B-b-but… Then… Someone's died?"

"No. Fortunately enough. But Netto – kun got his right arm blown and he'll take a month to recover. And Rock Man got damaged critically. Obihiro was a traitor sent by Silver Arrow…"

"No way!" He gasped.

"Yeah… I can't believe it, either… But it's reality."

"Are we doomed or what? First it was Pharaoh Man taking control of all systems and forcing us to evacuate because he locked all doors up: then we had "Nebula" hitting us _thrice_… "Asteroid" Beast Man blowing up the "Dimensional Generators" on the eclipse day… Then Zero storming us to steal the files on the "Dimensional Element"… "Golden Star" sending that Andy guy to assault us twice… We're cursed!" He listed.

"Whoa. I didn't remember how many times we'd been hit, true." Meijin admitted.

"I guess we really have bad luck, yeah." Enzan sighed.

"Damn it!"

21:50 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Now we only have to wait…"

Meijin, Saito (who'd taken out his helmet), Enzan, Laika and Yuuichirou were sitting in chairs next to Netto's bed.

"Netto – kun…" Saito muttered.

The whole of his right arm was encased in a molding and he had an IV on his left arm as well as an oxygen mask: he was still asleep from the operation.

"Huh… Uh… Huh…"

He suddenly began to stir and agitate but Yuuichirou touched his left arm to calm him down: he stopped moving and the EEG monitor displayed an increase of mental activity.

"AH!"

Netto suddenly opened his eyes wide in shock and gasped.

"Netto!" Yuuichirou called out.

Netto didn't seem to have heard him: he looked schocked and was panting as if trying to recover his breath: he seemed to be shivering in cold even though the room was comfortably hot.

"Otouto!" Saito called out.

Netto slowly seemed to calm down and looked at his right to spot the group of five: he then looked at his right arm and turned pale upon seeing the molding.

"Netto. Can you hear me?" Yuuichirou asked.

Netto quickly nodded in affirmation.

"Wait a minute. I'll remove this." Yuuichirou announced.

He removed the oxygen mask and Netto breathed deeply twice while articulating his left hand's fingers: Enzan spotted that.

_The relaxation exercises Maha taught him…_

He used the fingers to touch his palm several times and then slowly articulated his wrist.

"He's doing some relaxation exercises Maha taught him…" Saito clarified to them.

Everyone remained silent as Netto articulated his elbow and lifted the arm a little bit: he lowered it and then moved the shoulder a bit: he seemed to be calming down with every move given how he closed his eyes and slowly breathed in before expiring.

"… How long will my arm be immobilized?" He finally asked.

"A whole month at the very least…" Yuuichirou replied.

"… I see." He calmly replied.

"Otouto…" Saito muttered.

"Niisan… Please… Stay with me. Help me. Can you do that?" Netto suddenly requested of him.

"… Yeah. I'll do it. I'll help you in any form I can, Netto – kun." Saito confirmed.

"… Enzan… Laika… I'm sorry, but… I'll have to burden my job into you two…"

"Don't mind it. We'll help you. You've done a lot for us. We need to return your kindness."

"Yeah. Count on it, Netto."

"Meijin – san… Is niisan fully healed?"

"He is: there's nothing to be concerned about."

"Thank goodness…" He sighed in relief.

"Oh. It's a bit late to say this, but… _San wa iranai_!"

"Roger, Meijin – san!"

"I give up…" Meijin slapped his face.

Everyone smiled and seemed to lose tension.

"Hikari? You're awake?"

Search Man and Blues looked at Netto's PET: Forte was projecting out of it and he looked concerned.

"Yeah. Sorry, Forte, but I'll be charging you with my burden…" Netto told him.

"Don't worry. I'll find those and defeat them."

"Thank you, everyone…"

He suddenly fell asleep and looked calmed: everyone sighed in relief.

"Those relaxation exercises sure did well to him… He now can shake up tension in an easier manner." Yuuichirou smiled.

"Yeah. Papa… Can I take care of Netto – kun while at home?" Saito asked him.

"But of course. Go ahead. It's his request."

"I think we should leave. Hikari – hakase needs some time to speak with them." Laika suggested.

"Yeah. Good evening, Hikari – hakase."

"Be strong, Saito." The three Navis told him.

"Thank you, everyone…"

"Do your best. But don't overwork yourselves." Yuuichirou told them.

Laika and Enzan nodded in agreement before leaving: both Saito and Yuuichirou sighed in relief and looked at Netto.

"Huh? Hmmm… An unannounced visitor…" Forte suddenly looked behind him.

"Saruba?" Saito guessed.

"So it'd seem."

"It's not "seem". You got my name right." Saruba replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oi, oi… Don't look at me like if I was Sergei. I just dropped by to have a look." Saruba replied.

"So? Whose side are you on?" Saito questioned.

"Ah… The typical question… It's hard to decide, really… I just pop out when things interest me."

"You're not trustable."

"I never claimed to be." Saruba reminded them.

"You wanna play the "I see it all guy", then?"

"Yeah. That sums it up. I see. But I don't do anything." Saruba confirmed while shrugging.

"So? When are you gonna come out with a 3D image?" Saito challenged while looking unimpressed.

"I'm still working on it… I've been busy restoring the Tribe members, after all… They're all glad to have had a thrill."

"Hum. Until Silver Arrow is gone, then I won't let you take another step forward." Forte warned.

"But I guess you won't mind if I take some steps back instead, then?" He guessed.

"No. The further you stay away from here, the better." Forte confirmed while looking menacing.

"Oi, oi! A hospital is not somewhere to quarrel at…" He complained.

"I'll agree on that. Forte. Try not to pick a fight here." Yuuichirou told him with a serious look.

"I apologize." Forte apologized.

"See, Hikari – hakase summed it up: I'm not here to fight. I'm just an interlocutor." Saruba replied.

"An interlocutor who'd prefer a parrot to do the job, I'd say." Solo's voice rang out close by.

"Very funny." Saruba drily told him.

"Oi, oi… Don't come at me with that skeptical look. Why don't you go and look up the newest _Polònia_ chapter?" Solo replied.

"_Polònia_? Isn't that Catalan for Poland?" Saito asked.

"Yeah. It's an ironic name, really, if you research into it. It's a weekly humor show which picks on the weeks' main topics." Solo explained with a grin.

"Maybe I'll look it up." Saito sounded curious.

"Do as you like. We'll leave before Forte here forgets to hold back." Solo replied.

The Navi was freed and both Navis sighed in relief.

"… Guess I'll be having a look at it, too…"

The three of them looked at Netto, who'd suddenly spoken: he looked amused, even.

"Otouto… You were feigning?" Saito questioned.

"No. I couldn't fall asleep, really. I guess I'll have to try the relaxation exercises again." He sighed.

"But you don't need to worry: we're here to help you out in all we can. Netto – kun." Saito told him.

"_Thank you_, niisan, Papa…" Netto smiled.

They managed to make a weak smile: the worst part was over.

"Now calm down, otouto… I'm here. And I won't go anywhere."

"Thank you, Saito – niisan…"

19:45 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Damn. What a thing!"

"What… They tried to hoax ya?"

"No!"

Airstar walked inside of his apartment while looking pissed off: Tesla didn't bother to look up from her magazine.

"Silver Arrow had a Science Labs insider: he betrayed them and used his Net Navi to shatter Netto's right arm! He'll be out of the fighting for a whole month, Laika told me." Charlie explained.

"What! An insider… Why didn't I think of that? They're trying to laugh at my face: I'll go out and crush them for messing with a _lady_ who isn't even 30 yet!" Tesla exclaimed as she stood up and tossed the magazine into the sofa: she looked about to explode.

"… Do as you like." Airstar told her with an unimpressed look.

"My, my…" Gyro Man muttered.

"It would seem Tesla – sama shall not stop anytime soon." Magnet Man dully commented.

"Good, Tesla, good! You need to prove to those uncivilized men that they are messing with the wrong person!" Gauss suddenly ran in while looking in a good mood.

"That's so true, Father! I'll make them go back to the foul country they came out from!" Tesla announced.

"So Japan is a foul country, you mean to say?" Airstar asked with a hint of skepticism.

"What! You should've told me they were Japanese: I thought they were Polynesian!" Tesla told him.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Airstar rolled his eyes.

Tesla scoffed, Charlie sighed and Gauss looked exultant.

19:57 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Miyabi."

"Yuriko. You got news?"

Miyabi and Yuriko met up on the park.

"Yeah. We're supposed to search temples." Yuriko summed it up.

"Then they must be at the Demon Temple." Shadow Man announced as he projected.

"Shadow Man. They may call themselves "Demon Tribe", but I doubt there's any temple named liked that." Miyabi drily told him.

"Let's not forget about those two women, Yuriko!" Needle Man warned.

"You deal with the women. I'll deal with the temples."

"… Deal. I'm sure one of them will save me the trouble of looking for her, after all." Yuriko calmly agreed on it.

"Hmmm… It would seem someone has the last word in this concrete situation."

"The ugly guy is here! Speak up!" Needle Man commanded.

"Emperor Yamikawa." Both Yuriko and Miyabi deduced.

"Yeah. That's a gentleman's name. You see, Oozono… I've confirmed that Atamane is still after the girl named Sakurai. I think you wanted to deal with her: go ahead and set an ambush using bait." Saruba told her.

"… I know what to use."

"I'll look up all holes and temples until I find them. And they shall know how foolish it was to defy the Miyabi Family."

"Perfect. I'll be going: I guess tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Hmpf. They shall have war at their doorstep." Shadow Man muttered.

"Yeah! The new _Sengoku_ will visit 'em." Needle Man grinned.

20:10 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So… What I'm supposed to by now?"

"You'll be our successor."

"What?"

Obihiro was speaking with Ivan and Sergei: he looked puzzled at Ivan's reply to his question.

"It's not like we're being defeatist, mind you, Shun… But we'll be more relaxed by having a backup in place. And that's you, Shun." Sergei told him with a smile.

"Whoa." He whistled in surprise.

"You'll move out to a place we arranged for you outside of Japan: they'll be searching the whole country to no avail." Ivan added.

"Eh… And won't it strike as odd for the people in the country I'm going to go to? I mean…" Obihiro argued.

"We'll give you a disguise just like mine or you can pretend to be the son of a foreign family. Given how there so many foreigners who come to that place 'cause it's close to the sea and has beaches, they shouldn't find it odd… And it's a village which only local people know of. No mere foreigner would know about it unless they bothered to research." Ivan looked up from the monitor.

"I see. You've calculated everything."

"Yeah. Hunter Man will be there to back you up as well." Sergei added while looking at him: he was standing next to Shun.

"It is in my programming to defend my Operator." He calmly announced while shrugging.

"And contact us if ya come up with an original idea: we'll gladly work into it to make the "Net Saviors" sweat." Ivan added.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"


	32. Chapter 32: Final preparations

**Chapter 32: Final preparations**

09:19 AM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 10th…

"… With this… The "Project" will soon be complete… I'd say we'll be ready in less than a week's time."

"Good job, _lil bro_… Heh, heh, heh."

Ivan and Sergei were going over their plan and looked amused.

"The guy must be stirring up on his rocky grave and wishing he could come out and strangle us for copying his plan."

"Yeah. By the way… Shun got to his new hideout?" Sergei asked as he stood up from having been looking into the monitor.

"He did and called me to confirm his arrival. The Net Saviors might search all they want: they won't find him." Ivan replied as he turned the chair around to look at him.

"Good. Our freelancers are going to stay quiet after you showed them that edited photo. They were so afraid that they didn't doubt it." Sergei made a sinister smile.

"Yeah. And I gave Levé the means to change her ID and try to storm another place to play the "boyfriend thief". The only worries I have are Atamane and Nemenaya… We know Nemenaya won't target Cousin Netto anymore: her stupid club won't want a guy with a broken arm. Yet… They most seemingly won't give up on Cousin Saito. But they won't leave him go alone and there'll always be at least one backup. I doubt him coming outta the house… Atamane… I dunno which of those two she wants: Yuriko or Sakurai. But I'd stake that her female club will pick Sakurai over Yuriko. Man. I don't wanna imagine what they do there." Ivan explained while looking somewhat unsettled.

"Yeah. I'd rather be at a light year distance from that place: it's like a torture institution." Sergei rolled his eyes.

"I should warn Shun to stay sharp: there might be some underground guys who might set their eyes on him 'cause he's a foreigner."

"I guess Hunter Man will have to be the full-time bodyguard but, since it's written on his programming, he won't mind the fact." Sergei shrugged.

"Nemenaya targeted Hikawa… Ooyama isn't worth a second glance but the adjacent class guy, Eboshi, might be on her list. But she won't come out in the open so bluntly: there's a national search warrant on her ugly hide. And she'll be running out of the money we gave her soon enough, too…" Ivan muttered while bringing a hand to his chin.

"Once she runs out of money, then she won't be much of a bother… She'll be forced to be switching places very often, anyway…" Sergei calmly commented.

"But we'd need something to keep the Net Saviors busy… I won't go for mere "Darkloids", "Asteroids" or "Zoanoroids"… We need something else: something original…" Ivan frowned.

"Hmmm… Golden Star came up with those "shadow clones" but they've already been bested. Hmmm… Maybe… Oh! I know." Sergei thought about it and grinned.

"So? What have you thought of, _big bro_?" Ivan asked.

"Remember? The footage of the day Duo came to Earth… The so-called "Earth Erasure" day… That critical day in which Duo granted us his "trial"…" Sergei brought up.

"Oh! The giant Viruses… Even Enzan and Cousin Netto needed Program Advances to deal with them… We could make them tougher to beat and turn them into a nightmare!" Ivan exclaimed.

"I agree we'll be copying it, but it'll provide them with some rush and thrill… Heh, heh, heh." Sergei chuckled.

"That's easy to program, too. Let's pick normal Viruses and change their volume, size and HP values… Heh, heh, heh. I guess we can have them ready in a few hours…" Ivan announced.

"Good. Let's being Operation: Giant!" Sergei exclaimed.

"DELETE!"

12:12 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Did I do it good enough, otouto?"

"Yeah. It's good enough."

Netto was sitting on a chair inside of his house's bathroom: Saito had finished placing the bandana around his head and he was checking the result with the mirror.

"_Thank you_, niisan." He told him.

"Good. I'll help you walk down into the living room." Saito announced with a smile.

He slowly lifted Netto and helped him lean his left arm over his shoulders while the right one remained parallel to the body and immobilized: they slowly walked down the stairs and helped Netto sit down on the usual sofa: Saito then sat down at his right.

"I managed to find that show's videos… I worked on them and managed to subtitle them. Most of the characters are politicians, both active and retired, with some other characters in different roles thrown in… The show's director also shows up from time to time in scenes filmed directly off-set and inside of the studios…" Saito explained.

"Oh… That sounds intriguing." Netto admitted.

"Doesn't it? Well… The jokes may be hard to catch on given how it's a program intended for Catalan citizens, but we might be able to catch something. I added some "character boxes" to identify each person and the charge they hold." Saito added.

He picked a rewritable DVD and inserted it on the DVD player: the program began to run: both looked on and sometimes laughed when they were able to catch up a joke: it ran for about half an hour before it ended.

"Well… I can't say it wasn't uninteresting." Netto admitted.

"Yeah! It'd seem that Solo guy has a good catch for humor."

BEEP – BEEP - BEEP!

Netto's Link PET beeped, so Saito picked it up: Meijin showed up onscreen.

"Netto – kun, Saito – kun! We've…! Ah! Sorry… I forgot Netto – kun can't use the PET…" Meijin began before apologizing.

"Don't mind it, Meijin – san… It's routine." Saito told him.

"… _San… wa… iranai…_" He slowly intoned.

"Silver Arrow's work…?" Netto guessed.

"Yeah. It may ring a bell: Giant Viruses." Meijin confirmed.

"What! Like the ones "Asteroid" Video Man used the solar eclipsed day when we defeated him and they were wrecking the city…!" Saito gasped.

"Yeah. I mobilized all civilian Net Battlers, too. They take _three_ Program Advances to take down." Meijin reported.

"Damn. Back then we could beat those giant Trill Viruses with just _one_ Program Advance!" Netto cursed.

"Netto – kun. Please calm down." Saito told him.

Netto began his relaxation moves while Saito continued the conversation with Meijin.

"Please call us if you get anything useful from their data." He requested to Meijin.

"Good. I'm off. Ah. One last thing… _SAN WA IRANAI~_!" Meijin replied before he yelled his motto.

The communication ended and Saito wasn't very surprised to spot another of those Navis inside of his Link PET.

"Saruba. Didn't they teach you to knock at the door before stepping into someone's room?"

"Sorry. I'm rather rusted when it comes to manners… I've barely spoken to anyone in 15 years: what were you expecting, anyway? Apart from my three buddies…"

"Then you burst into Somari's room while she's showering, too, you mean to say?"

"N-no! I'm not a pervert!" Saruba gasped.

"Ah. Given your earlier talk…" Saito trailed off.

"Che. Ijuuin is teaching you two to try to double-edge peoples' mottos, ain't he?"

"Oh? Don't you know all which goes on out there?" Netto teased with a grin.

"I'm not a CCTV camera! I'm not at it 24/7: I sleep, train and take care of other stuff!" Saruba protested.

"Ah. We note down the point."

"Anyway… I'll admit that you guys are right on looking for temples. But since I wanna see this show 'till its end, I'm not gonna specify anything else… Beware of Vader's icy breath on the back of your bare necks, though… His TIE Advanced is always orbiting around you guys." He admitted before making a joke.

"I'd rather be careful with Han Solo's gun: he's faster than his shadow when it comes to drawing and shooting." Netto grinned.

"I'd say he copied that from Lucky Luke." Saruba muttered.

"Lucky Luke…?" Saito frowned.

"Oh… You guys would do well snoopin' around the Belgian and French comics: there's pretty interesting stuff there. If you're in for a serious and mature adventure, go for _The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer_. They'll grip you and won't let go before the Rebels have had time to shoot a proton torpedo down the ventilation shaft for the hyper-matter core…" Saruba chuckled.

"Very original." Netto drily told him.

"Guess I'm not welcomed… I'll go for a dive. Bye-bye." Saruba announced with some amusement.

"A dive…? He's gonna swim in the rainforest's lagoon? I thought the waters were poisonous…" Netto frowned.

"For _us_. But not for _them_."

"Oh. Yeah. And scans suggested the existence of a deeper section beneath the Bog Temple… Man! That place sure is huge. But it may not seem the same to the guys who've explored it over and over again in the space of fifteen years."

"Guess so… Anyway… Maybe I'll research into that: it might be somewhat interesting." Saito looked interested.

"Sure. I finished the school work, so… I better start practicing taking notes with the left arm. I'll need to do that for some time." Netto announced as he leant forward.

"I'll bring some paper and a clipboard."

He ran upstairs and picked the stuff before he walked back down and handed Netto a pencil and a clipboard with some papers.

"I'll dictate part of this book's theory. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Go ahead."

Saito began to dictate the lesson and Netto began to write it down as efficiently as he could: Saito stopped after five minutes and checked Netto's notes.

"Well… Given how it was leaning on your leg, then it's no surprise it ended a bit off-margin. But you'll be leaning on the desk, so it won't be much of a problem when you go to school." Saito commented.

"Yeah. I can guess that… Eh… Will you give me a hand when it comes to showering? And I'm sorry for that of the other day." Netto suddenly asked in a hushed tone.

"Of course. And I'm glad you admit you did a bad thing back then. I know you won't do it again." Saito smiled.

"Thank you."

12:29 PM (Japan Time)...

"… METTO~!"

"Che! Nenjiro! Beat that thing up!"

"Give me some more firepower, then!"

Napalm Man dodged a Mettool's pickaxe and looked rather annoyed as he rolled his eyes.

"Okay! Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Cannon, Hi Cannon, Mega Cannon! Slot In!"

"Zeta Cannon!"

The blasts from the Program Advance left some wounds on the Mettool and it looked annoyed: it suddenly glowed and bestialized.

"Damn. We need another one!" Napalm Man growled.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

The blast opened up some wounds on the Mettool's body and Napalm Man dodged its attempt to crush him with the right foot.

"Battle Chip, Triple Bomb! Slot In!"

"Die, you monster!" Napalm Man yelled at it.

The Triple Bomb hit one of the big wounds and the explosion started a breakup of its data and its eventual deletion.

"Good job, Nenjiro!"

"I AIN'T NENJIRO~!"

"Ouch, ouch! Hot, hot!" Nenji yelped.

"… Hah. They won't have enough with laughing at my face: they want to steal my ideas off!"

"Oi. Duo – sama was the one who came up with the Giant Viruses to begin with: Video Man could do that 'cause he was an "Asteroid"…"

"Oh… Encyclopedia – sama strikes back."

"What the…"

Tesla and Airstar were having a discussion while Airstar was piloting the chopper to head back to their apartment: Tesla looked unimpressed while Airstar rolled his eyes.

"Your girlfriend is so stubborn, Charlie…" Gyro Man commented.

"Chut!" Magnet Man hissed.

"…"Girlfriend"? How dare you!" Tesla hissed.

"Then… What are we supposed to be? An engaged couple…?"Airstar questioned.

"Oh? Who knows?" Tesla replied.

Gyro Man sighed in defeat while Magnet Man looked elsewhere, seemingly fed up with her Operator's weird behavior.

"Ah! One more thing: I'm going to come up with a lawsuit against those barbarians for stealing ideas off me." She announced.

"Come on… It's not like you patented it to begin with." Airstar told her while sounding defeated as well.

"Just you wait! You vermin! I shall - with my hands - bring a nightmare to you people!" Tesla exclaimed as she stood up and clenched her fists in a challenging pose.

"Oi, oi! Sit down or the chopper goes out of control!"

She sat down while looking angry: Airstar looked depressed instead.

_This ain't life, man…_

"… I'm beaten."

"Me too."

Enzan and Laika sat down on the Net Police HQ's lobby waiting chairs while looking defeated.

"… Having had to deal with _three_ of those things in a row was… A nightmare. Really. I swear it." Laika cursed.

"Yeah… Some curry will help power me up. I hope Dekao doesn't come and call me "thief" again." Enzan rolled his eyes.

"What a morning." Search Man cursed.

"Yeah. I prefer a "Zoanoroid" to those things." Blues grimly muttered.

They both stood up and managed to drag their feet outta the place while looking exhausted.

"… Four! I had to send four of them to the _Naraku_. I'm exhausted! It's the first time I've felt like this!" Shadow Man cursed.

"You and your _Naraku_ obsessions…" Miyabi rolled his eyes.

"Damn. I'd preferred an "Asteroid" to those." Yuriko cursed.

"Shah… shah… shah! I can't take another step forward!" Needle Man cursed.

"What a nightmare." Dr. Regal added.

"True… I've never felt so tired before…" Laser Man muttered.

"Everyone! The Maha Specials. Enjoy." Maha announced.

"Thank you."

"Che! I wanna blow something!" Dekao grumbled.

"Dekao! Get back to work before I get angry." Maha commanded.

Dekao ran into the kitchen, afraid, while Maha slapped his face.

13:53 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So… Saruba. Solo told me you have a plan."

Somari was speaking with Saruba: his hair looked wet and like it was pending drying up.

"Yeah. I do. But I'm not sure when I'm going to pull it off. I've begun to think of a candidate." Saruba admitted.

"Tee, heh, heh. Whenever you have an idea, we all end up tagging along with it… That's been our _modus operandi_." Somari giggled.

"Yeah. It sure has."

"Then go ahead and keep working on the plan. I won't ask for detail 'cause you're not the type to give away incomplete info." Somari grinned.

"No. He's the type to spoil people." Solo popped out from behind him.

"Solo… When will you stop using your stealth camouflage to sneak on us two? I thought you'd never been jealous, had you?" Saruba asked with a hint of annoyance.

"It ain't jealousy: it's a _cliché_." Solo replied.

"Whatever."

"Oi, oi… You two. Behave or I'm gonna have ya sing "a – le – le" fifty times over sans a break." Somari told them with a smug smile.

Both gulped and stepped back while looking elsewhere: it was obvious they'd never liked to do that.

"Tee, heh, heh. That's my secret weapon there. _Bye-bye~_! Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

She quickly ran off while the two of them sighed in relief.

"I'm off to wall-climbing… See ya around." Solo told him.

"Uh-huh… Go ahead." Saruba invited.

"Man. Somari – chan is _too _scary… Jeez."


	33. Chapter 33: One last pawn

**Chapter 33: One last pawn**

08:22 AM (Japan Time), Monday October the 11th…

"… _Lil bro_. We've officially run out of Giant Viruses." Sergei told Ivan while looking resigned.

"But I thought of a very interesting last pawn." Ivan replied with a broad grin.

"Oh? Intriguing. What is it about?" Sergei asked.

"Heh, heh, heh… Have a look at it, _lil bro_." Ivan chuckled.

He inputted some commands and Sergei gasped in surprise as he leant forward.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed.

"Heh, heh, heh. Thanks for the compliment, _big bro_."

"… So… You're gonna let it loose?" Sergei guessed.

"Yep. And since it still has its full memories, it won't be able to distinguish what happened." Ivan added.

"Good. We'll give 'em a scare. By the way… When do you expect the "Project" to be completed?" Sergei asked.

"If all goes according to schedule… It should be ready by Friday." Ivan replied after checking something.

"Excellent. We're going to cover the world in terror and fear…" Sergei sounded eager.

"Yeah. That's our mission, after all… And I've finished running up the simulations: the last scripted battle can be done." Ivan announced while making a smug smile.

"We shall make mincemeat of Forte and toss him into Hell itself… Heh, heh, heh." Sergei chuckled.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

10:13 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So… The only thing to be recovered from the Giant Viruses' data was another TXT file with the message "Gotcha" written on it?"

"Correct."

"Man! They made me sweat so much…"

Laser Man, Blues and Forte were having a talk inside of the Science Labs regarding the previous day's events.

"Che. I'm itching for them to show up and beat them up before tossing them into jail…" Forte grumbled.

"There's a little problem with that. Nakayami is a minor. He can't be sent to jail per law. He'll be interned in a reformatory like all those guys who do petty crimes. And he'd have it easy to flee from there." Blues pointed out with a hint of defeatism.

"I remember there being a lot of debate and polemic regarding this topic in King Land… I guess they are still stuck at it." Laser Man brought up.

"Yeah. People have this tendency to believe that only people above 16 or 18 would do such terrible things." Forte rolled his eyes.

"It's the endless debate, indeed. I think the legal age should be reduced from 16 to 14." Dr. Regal commented.

"True. But since that's gonna add more fire to the discussion, they will rather let it die down." Enzan sighed in defeat.

"Anyway… I would not want to be rude, but… I don't think discussing the minimum legal age in which someone can be sentenced to prison internment will guide us anywhere." Dr. Hikari argued.

"True. I guess we'll have to go try to locate any of those freelancers… We might be able to make them speak."

"Sure." Forte shrugged.

There was a sudden explosion and a cloud of smoke ensued.

"Hakase! The Level 1 Firewall has been broken through!" One scientist reported.

A silhouette could be seen standing in the smoke and growling something like if it was furious: two red eyes shone and the figure began to walk forward.

"Coming!" Forte gasped.

"… Where's Rock Man…! Show your hide, you rebellious dog!" The figure growled.

The smoke cleared and _Shade Man_ stepped forward while looking infuriated.

"Shade Man!" Forte and Blues gasped.

"Forte…! You lowlife…!" Shade Man cursed.

"Hmpf. You're the one who let revenge blind its hide and be easily deleted by Twilight." Forte replied.

"Shut up! Where's Rock Man!" He roared.

"I guess the guy must be trying to turn him into a "Darkloid" again like he did back when he traveled to the past." Blues muttered.

"Crush Noise!"

The three of them dodged and assumed combat positions.

"Red Wing!"

Shade Man turned into bats and rammed into Laser Man, who didn't even flinch: he then reformed himself.

"Shade Hand!"

The gigantic hand appeared, but Laser Man calmly shot that thin laser of his which shot past it and hit Shade Man's neck, stunning him for a second and leaving him open to attack.

"Earth Breaker!"

Forte charged up energy on his right hand and discharged it one Shade Mans' right shoulder, destroying it and causing his right arm to fall into the ground and be erased: he growled and looked furious.

"Die! Crush Noise!"

Forte dodged the attack and took out the Hell's Buster.

"Hell's Buster!"

The several shots opened up wounds on Shade Man's body and he recoiled while groaning in pain: Laser Man suddenly appeared behind him and lifted him.

"Cross Laser!"

The close-quarters blast inflicted heavy damage to Shade Man and he was then tossed into the ground: Blues jumped into the air and plunged a Long Sword on his chest emblem.

"Guoh…! You lowlifes…!" He roared.

He stood up somehow and growled although he was clearly too tired to keep on fighting.

"Go to the _Naraku_ and don't bother us again. Darkness Overload!" Forte announced.

The blast impacted Shade Man and he roared as his data broke apart and he was completely deleted: the three of them sighed in relief.

"Phew! We managed to take him down." Forte muttered.

"Who was that? It seemed like a "Darkloid"…" Laser Man commented.

"He _was_ the leader of the "Darkloids": Shade Man. Twilight backstabbed him and usurped his throne. He was deleted on battle with him and revived once due to an accidental Time Space phenomenon. Rock Man chased him into the past and he was infected by the "Dark Aura": we managed to suppress it. Shade Man died because he'd ripped his "Darkloid Factors": he wanted them to turn all Navis into "Darkloids" and rewrite history." Blues explained.

"Hum! Then… Could Silver Arrow have regenerated him?" Laser Man suggested.

"I think it's possible. They just let him with his same memories he had when he was deleted and let him loose right in front of the Level 1 Firewall…" Blues guessed.

"At least we got to delete the guy for good…"

"Guess Shadow Man will be amused to see how you copied his obsession with the _Naraku_…" Forte looked slightly amused.

"Yeah. And Miyabi will tell him to quit it already." Enzan rolled his eyes.

"It looks like they used Shade Man as demonstration of how far they can come when they want to…" Dr. Hikari guessed.

"Blues. Go and tell Saito."

"Roger, Enzan – sama. I shall be going." Blues acknowledged.

"I'm going, too. Later." Forte announced.

"Good morning." Laser Man replied.

"… Oh. _Buruusu_. Good morning."

"Good morning, Saito."

Blues came to see Saito: he was sitting on his usual chair and checking up the contents of the day's lessons: he then spotted a largely invisible figure leaning on one corner of the room.

"That's Freeze Man?" He guessed.

"Correct." Freeze Man confirmed as he shut down the optical camouflage ability.

"I've got news: Shade Man appeared in the Science Labs." Blues went straight to the point.

"Wha~t?" Netto yelled.

"Shade Man, you say!" Saito gasped.

"That lowlife…!" Freeze Man hissed.

"But we deleted him again. He was after you: he wanted to continue what he was doing back when the "Past Tunnel" affair." Blues told him.

"Man. Ivan and Sergei sure wanna prove that they can do _anything_ when they want to." Netto grumbled.

"Yeah. Did you find anything new in the Giant Viruses' data?" Saito asked Blues.

"No. There was only a TXT file with the word "Gotcha" on it." Blues replied while sighing in defeat.

"Got cha, gotcha, got chi, gotchi, got chu, gotchu, got che, gotche, got cho and gotcho…" An amused voice tuned.

The three of them spotted another possessed Navi making some kind of strange dance and poses.

"Solo." Saito recognized the voice.

"Surprised? I'm gonna patent it as "Solo's Crazy Dance: Only for Crazy Guys"!" Solo announced.

"Let me guess: you did this while Saruba was away." Saito guessed.

"But I got his go-ahead, nevertheless. So! Are you gonna give your girlfriend a present by White Day?" Solo teased.

"That ain't until March the 14th… And Roll – chan isn't my "girlfriend": Roll – chan is just my friend." Saito dully told him.

"Man… Didn't _Polònia_ brighten your mood?" Solo asked.

"… I dunno why but I find myself expecting absolutely nothing new from you guys. Guess I'm used to seeing more spectacular stuff." He told him.

"Then go and have a look at _MGS3: Snake Eater_." Solo suggested.

"It's labeled 18+." Saito reminded him.

"Yeah. And we don't break rules."

"Ops. I forgot that. Well… Why don't ya have a look at _Luigi's Mansion_ instead? That one is for all ages!"

"Maybe I'll do." Saito dully told him.

"Heh, heh, heh! You're hard to impress. Maybe I said that Mister Universe is going to descend into the mortal world you'll be interested?" Solo teased next.

"Mister Universe…?"

"You mean _Miss_ Universe!" Roll suddenly popped out behind them and faced the Navi.

"I know about that contest. But I was trying to come up with a new original name." Solo calmly replied.

"I guess Kagehi appointed herself to take part on it." Roll made a smug smile.

"Nope."

"Hah! Then she's outdated. _I_ will take part in some years!" Roll announced while looking amused.

"Do as you like: I guess Somari – chan doesn't give a cent for this stuff, after all. She's the tomboy type." Solo shrugged.

"Hmpf." Roll looked amused.

"Solo…" A voice with a slight hint of annoyance rang out.

"Whoa! Somari – chan… Eh…" Solo gasped.

"Hand me that. Now." Somari coolly told him.

"Please go ahead!"

There was the sound of the microphone switching hands and someone tapping on it to test it out.

"Roll: I'm not into the "Miss Universe" fever. That's a show for those foolish and lustful men out there." Somari announced.

"What?" Roll looked surprised.

"Come on… Didn't you discuss it with that boyfriend thief? Even the myth of creation makes the woman look enslaved to the man." Somari warned her.

"I knew that. It's obvious that it was made up by a man." Roll folded her arms.

"And you should rather be careful with your house's security. I know one leech which is roaming by there."

"Damn. The leech…!" Roll hissed.

"Agatha and Atamane…" Meiru grimly muttered.

"But I already tipped off Oozono, so I'd say that ugly gal must be running for her black money."

"So. You don't like sadists." Roll guessed.

"Che! How would I? That man was like a sadist to begin with: look at what he did to us!" Somari grumbled.

"I see the point." Roll calmly replied.

"I guess I'll be going: you guys will end break in five minutes… Go and blow Gorilla Man up a thousand times." Somari giggled.

"And don't forget to check out _Luigi's Mansion_, either!" Solo added with a chuckle.

"Sure." Saito dully told them.

The Navi was freed from the hijack and looked around.

"Uh… My processor froze. I must be overworking myself." He muttered while sounding slightly disoriented.

"I'm off. Take care, Saito." Blues announced.

"Thank you, _Buruusu_." Saito smiled.

Blues left while Freeze Man hid himself and Saito made a weak smile.

12:23 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Damn. Bothersome woman…!"

"Stop right there!"

Atamane was running down a street and Yuriko was hot on her trail: she looked annoyed.

"That ugly man…!" Agatha cursed.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Ya won't get away this time!" Needle Man announced.

Atamane turned right but found Detective Misaki standing there and displaying his "Net Savior" hologram: Yuriko showed up behind her, thus cutting off her escape route.

"You're under arrest for break-in and attempted abduction." Misaki announced.

"And no – one will bother to save you this time around." Yuriko added with a grin.

"Hmpf." Atamane made a smug smile.

"Heh." Agatha did the same.

She snapped her fingers and a "Dimensional Converter" emerged: she managed to escape and both Yuriko and Misaki growled in frustration upon seeing how she'd escaped.

"She procured the means to escape on her own…! But this will make her realize she can't come closer to this area anymore." Yuriko grumbled before she sighed.

"Yeah. We should post another warrant on her, too." Misaki sighed in defeat.

"I'm off: I'll have to escort Netto back home. Take care." Yuriko announced.

"… Okay." Misaki replied.

12:39 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmpf. Atamane got herself a "Dimensional Converter" to escape, then, _lil bro_?"

"Yeah. So we don't need to move a finger about her: she will pull the same trick on them."

Sergei had come to report to Ivan what he'd witnessed: both looked amused.

"Heh. Fine enough… But we managed to terrorize the "Net Saviors" by showing them that there's nothing impossible for us to do. Let's let them kick cans around in boredom 'till Friday morning." Ivan announced as he stretched.

"Heh. And I suspect things will heat up soon enough…" Sergei added with a smug smile.

"They want heat? Go to Brazil and enjoy their beaches." Ivan announced with a smile.

He typed into the computer and some _samba_ began to play out: both stood up and began to imitate a _samba_ dance.

"Heh. Else… They could go see Raoul and be ready for his crazy disco dancing moves which sweep the floor with all of the _amateurs_ and diehard guys on it." Sergei suggested.

"What's up, Brother? Wanna dance?" Ivan imitated "disco" Raoul's poses and moves.

"We should patent the "Sweep 'em all Dance"." Sergei suddenly suggested with obvious amusement.

"And Raoul will fill a lawsuit against us like Magnets… I wonder when she'll ditch Airstar and go seek one of those Ameroupe businessmen. And I suspect even Gauss would agree on it." Ivan amusedly commented.

"Whatever… Delete!" Sergei rallied.

"Delete!" Ivan rallied.


	34. Chapter 34: Medusa's Hall

**Chapter 34: Medusa's Hall**

09:49 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday October the 13th…

"… Rokushadama Nenji – san, I assume?"

Rokushadama replied to a call on his PET while working on some fireworks simulations inside of his workshop.

"That's me. Who are ya?"

"Call me Akanokabe." The distorted voice replied.

"Aka No Kabe? Red Wall?"

"If you must do so..." He could hear some shrugging.

"What the heck do ya want?"

"I want to test your intelligence." The caller announced.

"Huh? What?"

"Hah! Intelligence? This guy has zero of it! Ye are losin' yer so-precious time!" Napalm Man boasted.

"Wha~t?"

"My. Nenjiro – san is fond of teasing, it'd seem." The caller sounded slightly amused.

"I AIN'T NENJIRO~!" He roared.

The Link PET heated up and Rokushadama let go of it: the PET fell on top of the desk and kept on heating.

"Ouch! Hot, hot!" He yelled.

He blew air into his hands to cool them off while Napalm Man confronted the black communications screen.

"Anyway… Can I continue? I guess your love-hatred debate has concluded by now, right?" The caller asked.

"Please go ahead."

"Then… Listen closely… The keyword for Silver Arrow's scheme is "Sharo Tower"..." The caller announced.

"…"Sharo Tower"? What… They're building a tower in Sharo Nation or something like that?" He frowned.

"No, Nenji! That's way too obvious! It's a codename; it's meant to be a distraction!"

"Bravo, Nenjiro – san!" The person congratulated.

"I said it: I ain't "Nenjiro"! Bring it on, punk!" Napalm Man challenged while getting pissed off again.

"Anyway… Try to boil your brains trying to figure it out. Oh. And send greetings to General Miyabi by the way." The caller announced with a hint of amusement.

The black screen shut down and Rokushadama scratched the back of his head while looking seemingly perplexed.

"Oi, oi… What was that about?" He wondered.

"You _baka_! We gotta tell the Net Police and Rock Man: this is important stuff!" Napalm Man shouted.

"Wha~t? _Baka_? That ain't true! Don't be so mean, Nenjiro!" Rokushadama complained.

"Thrice! I'll say it thrice! I - AIN'T - NENJIRO~!" Napalm Man yelled while sounding like he'd exploded.

"Whoa, whoa! Cool it down! You're gonna set fire to the desk or break the PET!"

"Look! Ya tried to blow up the stone door of those ruins with bombs and Rock Man's Operator had to stop ya!" Napalm Man brought up.

"Che."

"Hmpf!" Napalm Man scoffed.

"Oh come on."

11:04 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Akanokabe? What an odd surname."

Netto was speaking with Enzan via the Link PET during break time.

"Yeah. However… We have no way of discerning if the info is genuine or not. "Sharo Tower" does sound like a codename but we cannot even begin to guess what it stands for or if it's a tower to begin with."

"Wait. If they stole the schematics for both the "Dimensional Converters" and the "Dimensional Generator", don't you think that they could try to build an improved version of "Twilight Tower"?" Netto suggested.

"Oh! That'd fit perfectly! Maybe the "Sharo" part is to mislead us to think it's something connected to the country. Good thinking, Netto!"

"Thanks! In fact, Saito – niisan and I had been discussing this for some days. We just wanted something to confirm it… It was like a… What was the word again, niisan?"

"_Hypothesis_, Netto – kun. It's called a h_ypothesis_." Saito reminded him while rolling his eyes.

"That's it: a hypothesis!" Netto grinned.

"Yeah. But… I'm starting to think that was Yamikawa." Enzan announced while bringing a hand to his chin.

"Saruba… He must like teasing us." Saito rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing. He must want us to play detective." Blues shrugged.

"And I'm sure he'll show up to challenge us, too." Freeze Man guessed.

Saito didn't reply and glanced at Roll's desk, which was empty at the moment: he frowned and seemed to be thinking about something: Netto noticed it and glanced at Meiru's desk.

"… Meiru – chan seems to have gotten quite the flu! She won't speak to me, even." Yaito was telling Dekao.

"Che! I'm sure there's a bad guy behind that." Dekao grumbled.

"It's no "bad guy", Dekao – kun… It's the flu!" Hikawa grumbled.

"Guts, guts! Roll – chan must take of her Operator, guts, but Guts Man feels lonely!" Guts Man commented.

"Be considerate, Guts Man, desu!" Ice Man protested.

"Why don't you go see Aki – chan?" Glyde suggested.

"O~H! GATTSU~!" Guts Man gasped.

He suddenly ran off the classroom and the other two sighed in relief once they'd shaken him off.

"What's wrong, Saito?" Blues asked.

"Huh? Ah… Nothing."

"If you say so…"

"Oi! Netto!" Dekao called out.

"What?" Netto asked.

"You went and made that mold up to get VIP treatment, didn't ya? You cheater!" Dekao told him.

"Dekao…! Can you even imagine how this happened? I almost died! Ask Enzan, Laika, Papa and Meijin – san: a Navi did this to me!" Netto snapped at him.

"Hah! You made it up! See!"

"You idiot!" Yaito snapped at him.

"Wha~t?" Dekao growled.

"Do you think Netto – kun would ever damage his PET arm?" Yaito told her.

"He did and I'm gonna prove it somehow!"

"Dekao – kun!" The homeroom teacher called out.

"Ah! _Sensei_…!"

"Come. We need to speak." The teacher ordered.

Dekao hung his head down and followed the teacher out of the classroom while Netto grumbled something under his breath: Hikawa and Yaito sighed in annoyance as well.

"… And be it the last time you accuse a classmate of having broken his arm in purpose! Can you imagine how much frustration he must hold back? Can you?" The teacher scolded Dekao.

"But, _sensei_…!" Dekao argued.

"No! No "buts" will work: he never asked for any "VIP treatment"! He's working the best he can and his exam notes are very good! But yours are very bad and you'll have to change drastically if you want to pass this first trimester! Get it?" The teacher told him.

"B-but…!"

"Paranoia and boasting don't lead anywhere. Do you think four people would lie about such a thing? Do you think we didn't get a medical certificate proving the fact? Hmmm?" The teacher questioned.

"But it could've been faked!" Dekao argued.

"Dekao – kun! This is escalating. You're now accusing the hospital of having been bribed to do a simple medical certificate. Proof! Show me proof!" The teacher commanded.

"I'll take that…!"

"No! You won't take the mold out: else, the bones won't be able to heal good enough! I'm about to get angry, Dekao – kun!" The teacher increased his voice's volume.

"Man! Why are all of them bought?" Dekao grumbled aloud.

"…"Bought"! You accuse the school of being bribed! That's exceeded all limits: we're going to see the headmaster and call your parents!" The teacher exclaimed.

"What!" Dekao gasped in horror.

The other students rolled their eyes and sighed in defeat.

"Ah… Netto – kun. Can I go visit Roll – chan in the meanwhile? I'll be right back." Saito requested.

"Sure." Netto replied.

"I'll go along. Freeze Man: take care of things here if you may." Blues announced.

"Gladly." Freeze Man replied.

"… Over here."

Both stopped in front of the Sakurai House firewall and Saito walked next to it: he placed his hand on it and a holographic screen popped out: he pressed a red button and waited.

"Hello? Roll – chan? It's me: Saito. Can I come in?" He asked.

There was no response: Saito tried again but had no result.

"… Weird… Wait here for a sec, _Buruusu_. I'll ring the front door." Saito muttered before addressing Blues.

"Roger."

Saito materialized and made sure no – one saw him: he then rang the front door bell but there was no response.

"How odd."

He frowned and checked the door's handle: it opened.

"Whoa! It isn't locked? Eh… Good morning! Is there anyone home? It's me, Saito!" He muttered before calling out.

There was no response, so Saito stepped in and closed the door behind him: he spotted Meiru's slippers on the shoe cupboard but her street shoes weren't there.

"… I don't like this." He grimly muttered.

He searched the kitchen: it had some dust.

_Meiru – chan wouldn't let the kitchen get like this even if she was ill._

He then climbed upstairs and checked out her open bedroom: the bed had signs of not having been used in at least one day.

_Damn! What could've happened? Yuriko escorted her back on Monday and she didn't see anything odd. And they'd scared Atamane off… Wait… The "Dimensional Converter"… I see! They tricked us: they used it to make us believe she'd escape somewhere far but she returned here and hid inside…! She then abducted Meiru – chan and Roll – chan before she escaped with the "Converter"! Damn! I should've guessed it earlier! _

Making a grimace, he dematerialized and returned into the Cyber World's entrance.

"You're back? Huh?"

Blues looked at him and even stepped back: he'd clenched both fists and his eyes had a glint of hatred he'd never seen on them before: he looked like he was building up rage and about to discharge it into someone.

"Saito! Snap out of it!" Blues commanded.

Saito snapped out of it and fumed: he then began the relaxation exercises while closing his eyes and seemed to vent off his earlier attitude.

"What happened?" Blues asked.

"Atamane! She tricked us: she went back here and managed to abduct Meiru – chan and Roll – chan!" He summed up.

"By all the…!" Blues gasped.

"We gotta locate her "Converter": it has to be close by!" Saito exclaimed as he headed off.

"O-oi! Wait for me!"

They ran off and Saito immediately headed towards the north without hesitating.

"How can you be so sure of where to head to?"

"Sergei and Ivan altered their "Converters", but… This one was a "Nebula" model one: even though it doesn't use Net Navis, their system has a specific signature… And since I scanned one with "Number Soul", I could register them…" Saito replied.

"But… Wasn't that the one which was missing its power core and which Twilight had to repair?" Blues seemed to frown under the shades.

"Yeah! But since the power core thing is only 10% of the whole Cyber World then I can recognize 90% of it… In short: I can find out if one was used recently." Saito replied.

They stopped in one location and spotted a gateway in front of them: they entered it and found themselves inside of a "Dimensional Converter" Cyber World: they quickly ran up the stairs and found the power core and the adjacent energy system.

"Here. Let's check it out."

Saito interacted with the core and copied some data from it.

"Gotcha. 7th District, Shoemakers' Road, 50… I gotta check what's in there but I suspect it being a terrific place." He reported.

"Eh… I'm not sure, but… Wouldn't it be somewhat rude for us two to go? I mean… It's an all-women place and…" Blues scratched the back of his head.

"You're right. Then let's ask Yuriko and I'll contact Meddy – chan. The police should get there, too. They'll find them red - handed and will be able to shut the place down for good."

"Good plan. Let's go to the Net Police HQ and report." Blues nodded in agreement.

"Hang in there, Roll – chan…! We're coming!"

"Damn women. We must hurry."

"I know. Every second counts if we want to rescue them mentally sane."

"Che. The last thing we needed…!"

12:29 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Here, huh…"

Yuriko glanced at a decrepit-looking building placed in a rather empty district: it only had one or two warehouses and lot of land which was used to store construction material: the building had a large banner which looked like it'd been written with red blood _graffiti_.

"Medusa's Hall: The living _Naraku_."

"Hmpf." Yuriko muttered while making a grimace.

"Yuriko! Rock Man's companion is ready to get in and free the Navi… And the police will be 'ere in ten minutes time." Needle Man whispered to Yuriko.

"I guess Atamane is the one who came up with this repulsive business, so… She must be on the topmost floor office and counting the filthy money she earned." Yuriko guessed.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! There's a window on the back… We can break in through there and the office is adjacent to that stairway hall. I don't think there are any alarms set!" Needle Man suggested while checking the schematics.

Yuriko merely nodded in agreement and jumped over the outer wall with grace: she then spotted the water drain pipe.

"There."

She used it to climb up to the roof: she then ran to the north end and looked at the window set on that wall: she landed on the ledge and kicked it open.

"No big deal."

Yuriko landed on the metallic staircase and then headed to the door in front of her: she kicked it open as well and spotted Atamane giving her the back and sitting on a chair next to a table.

_There they are…!_

An ashtray had a still smoking cigarette on it: there were several bundles of bank notes piled on the table: Atamane was leaning the chair backwards and had placed her black leather boots on top of the desk.

"That's as far as you come!"

She suddenly stood up and then turned around while looking rather annoyed: she gasped upon spotting Yuriko.

"Oozono!" She cursed.

"Atamane! Your days are over, you sadist!" Yuriko announced.

The sound of police sirens filled the air and two vans showed up along with four patrol cars: several policewomen ran out and headed inside of the building.

"There's no running away for you! Science Labs! Deploy the "Dimensional Area"!" Yuriko announced.

"Roger! Dimensional Area: Activate!" Meijin confirmed.

The "Dimensional Area" encompassed the perimeter while shouts and shooting could be heard.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Yuriko performed "Cross Fusion" and then faced Atamane: she recoiled and picked a gun on the desk: she quickly shot some shots at her forehead but they bounced off the helmet.

"Useless. Guns don't work on "Cross Fusion" users."

"Mistress! There's an intruder over the Cyber World! And the exits are blockaded! We're surrounded, my Mistress!" Agatha reported all of a sudden.

"Damn." She cursed.

"Take this!" "CF" Yuriko announced.

She took out a small vial and tossed it into the ground: a small greenish came out and Atamane coughed.

"Damn…! Tear gas…!"

"CF" Yuriko then tackled her into the ground and knocked her out before she ran out and dropped down the staircase shaft until she reached the basement floor.

"The basement…!"

She kicked a badly closed armored door open and ran into a stone corridor illuminated by loose bulbs on the ceiling: several armored doors were built on the sides.

"Almost like a prison…!"

She looked at the ground and spotted one which had signs of having been opened and closed often.

"This is the place. Battle Chip, Hell's Burner!"

She drew the Hell's Burner and aimed it at the keyhole: it quickly melted away and the door squeaked open.

"Open up, you!"

"CF" Yuriko ran inside and found Meiru sitting on a corner of the unlit room: she only had a ragged black cloak on and was barefoot: she was sitting while closing her arms around her legs and had her head was lowered.

"Meiru ! It's me: Yuriko!" "CF" Yuriko called out.

She slowly looked up: her eyes were irritated and she looked shocked.

_God knows what they did to her in just two days…! The only good thing is that it was women and not men. _

"… Yu… Yuriko…?" She slowly asked.

"Yeah. That's me. Stand up. It's over. I've come to rescue you." "CF" Yuriko told her while she offered her the right hand.

Meiru slowly stood up while looking like she was about to collapse of fatigue at any moment.

"Huh… Uh…"

They heard rushed footsteps and two policewomen ran in.

"Is this girl the hostage?" One asked.

"Yeah. Make sure to take her to the clinic: God knows what they've done to her. Don't push her or anything: always let her take the first step. I'll report to the Net Police in the meanwhile." "CF" Yuriko confirmed.

"Roger."

"… Roll… Where… is… she…?" Meiru slowly asked.

"Meddy should be securing her." "CF" Yuriko announced.

"Uh… Roll…"

She suddenly lost consciousness and Yuriko softly stopped her from falling into the ground.

"I guess it'll be better if I escort her out… Cross Out!"

Yuriko cancelled the "Cross Fusion" and held Meiru.

"Let's go out."

The four of them headed out into the ground floor: Yuriko headed over to Misaki's car and sat Meiru on the rear seat.

"Where's her PET?" Yuriko asked.

"An officer found it." Misaki replied as he handed it to her.

"Roll – chan is with me." Meddy announced.

Yuriko looked at the screen and spotted Meddy tending to Roll: she had some wounds on her body along with bruises and cuts: she'd seemingly lost consciousness.

"Let's go to the hospital." Yuriko announced.

"Roger."

"Shah, shah, shah! Damn."

16:39 PM (Japan Time)…

"… WHAT?"

"Yeah. It happened, otouto."

Netto was shocked when Saito told him the news upon reaching home and sitting down on the sofa.

"But the police have finally arrested them: they won't be hurting anyone else."

"What a…! That one would deserve to be imprisoned for life." Netto made a grimace.

"Yeah. Yuriko told me to wait until the medics can determine how much damage she suffered before going to the hospital."

"I know that Ivan and Sergei didn't approve of this, but…! I feel like they're to blame for making that woman show up around the district to begin with: hadn't they, this wouldn't have happened."

"We can't be a 100% sure, otouto. Anyway… I hope they can get something out of them which may pinpoint Silver Arrow's hideout." Saito sighed.

"Yeah… I feel like something important is gonna happen." Netto admitted while looking worried.

"But… We mustn't let this depress us. We must stay strong and united to defeat them."

"… So?"

"Well… She had some bruises, cuts and scratches all over her body and I'm afraid she's been tortured with several tools. She has obvious lack of sleep and food symptoms and I'm afraid she will find it hard to recover from what has happened."

Yuriko was speaking with a medic while standing outside of Meiru's hospital room: two policewomen were standing at the sides to protect the room from any undesired visitors.

"Well. It would be the best if we kept her under observation for several days. Maybe her friends could try to cheer her up, but it'll be hard. Obviously enough, there's no danger of _THE_ scenario happening. We should be glad of it, even…" The medic listed next.

"I see. Well. These two policewomen will take care of her security given how she is an important witness… I shall be going." Yuriko announced with a sigh.

"Good afternoon."

Yuriko calmly walked away from the room and checked her PET: Needle Man looked serious, for once.

"Did Meijin report anything yet?" Yuriko asked.

"Yeah. The girl's Navi frame had similar symptoms according to a co-scientist. She was able to delete the ugliest memories, but what happened has greatly shaken her system. She will have it hard to recover and he doubts her being capable of taking part in any battles anytime soon." He explained.

"Che. Two out of thirteen knocked out… Let's hope no – one else is targeted next…" Yuriko grimly muttered.

"Yeah… Twilight's talk is slowly becoming reality, even… What a sinister guy! I'd rather preferred Regal to be the bad guy all this time on his place: he wouldn't have fueled those guys!" Needle Man grimly muttered as well.

"… So?"

"…"So"… What?"

"About today."

"Ah. That…"

"What do you have to say?"

Sergei was speaking with Ivan, who looked somewhat unsettled and nervous, for once: Sergei looked serious.

"Eh… I guess I'm to blame, _big bro_. I really didn't want Atamane laying her hands on them to begin with… I just wanted to turn the "Net Saviors" nervous and I thought that Yuriko's persistence would pay off…" Ivan slowly replied while looking troubled.

"Yeah. We tried to play the cool guys and didn't realize the implications of our actions. We didn't intend to leave anyone else apart from Cousin Saito and Cousin Netto out of league. And I doubt Emperor S – sama liking this, either, _lil bro_."

"But it ain't like I _intended_ for it to happen! _Big bro_!" Ivan protested.

"True, _lil bro_. Anyway… Forte will be rather pissed off by Friday, so… We better make sure to go over the battle strategy."

"Yeah, yeah… I know… And I'll have the B Plan ready. I know running outta it won't be so climatic, but we can come up with something else. And even if they caught us, Shun would come to help us. It can't be that hard to strike a reformatory: they are poorly defended. Regarding the Navi Prison… If the "Neo WWW" could take Magnet Man outta it, then he could revive some "Darkloids" and use them as distractions." Ivan listed a possible _scenario_.

"Good. But, this time around, the _whole world_ shall know to fear us: global "Dark" shall occur again. Delete!"

"Delete!"

"… Heh, heh, heh. It'll work. And all the pieces are on place. All I need to do is to wait for the correct moment. Which is forthcoming, anyway. Heh, heh, heh."

Saruba was sitting on a normal wooden chair placed inside of a small stone room: it only had a bed, a desk, a lamp and a bookcase with some e-books on its shelves: there was a poster of the constellations set to the entrance door's right.

The door was placed on the south wall, the bed next to the west one, and the bookcase to the north: the east wall had a large photo of a nebula set on its surface.

Saruba was looking at a small holographic screen displaying some graphs and diagrams: he looked amused.

"So! Atamane has been captured after she and her all-women S&M sadist gang violated Sakurai… I know the Nakayami Brothers didn't intend for this, so I'm not going to do this because I feel enraged by it. No… All things come to an end. And I'm going to trigger something new." He muttered aloud while looking calm.

He shut down the screen and stretched before he stepped out into the corridor and entered the throne room: it was empty at the moment: he stopped on a spot half-way between the door and the throne.

"This will do fine." He decided.

He snapped his fingers: a rod for "safe zone" generation appeared on activated, creating a small one: Saruba's body glowed slightly and he quickly ran inside of the "safe zone".

"Hum!"

He then made it shine again and he stepped back into the purple atmosphere.

"Hmmm… My power is degraded by 10%. But even at 90% and with my "R – Program" being usable, I can handle it. And so will my future _soldier_. This program to change one's structure will be the key to finally coming out of this place… Heh, heh, heh." He muttered.

He then sat down on the throne and looked at the purple skies.

"Strategy: Evolution…" He muttered next.

"So! You wanna make Nyula evolve into Manyula by having them hold a "Sharp Claw" during night-time? You know, that Ice / Evil Pokémon which Silver has in _Pocket Monsters Special_…" Solo joked as he suddenly came into the room.

"No, no. I mean something else. You'll see in Friday."

"Hmpf. It looks interesting… Heh, heh, heh, heh!"


	35. Chapter 35: The decisive showdown

**Chapter 35: The decisive showdown**

10:31 AM (Japan Time), Friday October the 15th…

"… Huh? Don't you feel like your hair's become spiky?"

"Weird. There's some static magnetism in the air?"

Some pedestrians walking around an avenue somewhere in what seemed to be Akihara's outskirts were seemingly experiencing the effects of some concentration of electricity.

"Mugro~h…" An inhuman growl echoed around.

"W-what?"

There was a powerful electrical discharged followed by a flash and a gigantic building was revealed: Sharo Tower.

"Whoa!"

The design was reminiscent of Twilight Tower but it had its differences there and there: it was shaped in three main pieces.

The first one was a rectangular base with pipes popping out of the ground and connecting to it.

The second piece was the central tower with two side-towers on both sides of it: four bright diamonds were placed on both sides of the central tower: there was a balcony shaped like the lower right quarter of a sphere which had the Silver Arrow emblem engraved on its front.

The top of the tower had half – a – cone turned 180º built there: a small dome set on this structure's highest point had a lightning rod coming out of body: the half-cone had thirty "Dimensional Converters" placed on its frame and the two side-towers both also had thirty of them.

The tower began its ignition procedure and began to project a "Dimensional Area" which encompassed the whole of the world.

"W-what's with that thing?"

"C-call the Net Police!"

11:04 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So this is it…"

Forte walked up the avenue and stopped once he was five meters away from the tower: he looked up and spotted both Ivan and Sergei standing the balcony.

"You lowlifes…!" He hissed.

"Hmpf. You came, Forte. We've been waiting for you." Ivan greeted with a smile.

"Our decisive showdown shall happen here." Sergei added with a hint of amusement.

Ivan rummaged into his vest's right pocket and took out a "Dark Synchro Chip" from there.

"What!"

"A "Dark Synchro Chip"… Version 2. We've improved the design: it only boosts "Synchronism" rate and doesn't force the Navi into "Cross Fusion" or corrupts the Operator anymore." Ivan explained.

"After all… Since we have the "Yami" _Kanji_ on our surnames, we'd had to use something of "Dark" Attribute."

"Something tells me I'm gonna have to go through one of your scripted battles…" Forte grumbled.

"It's not "one": it's the last one. And it's the most powerful one. Will you take our challenge?"

"You can still go back if you want to live." Sergei taunted.

"Who's gonna run? I'll fight! Come at me! You lowlifes! I'll defeat you with my power!"

Sergei merely dematerialized and returned inside of the Link PET while Ivan held out the "Dark Synchro Chip" on his left hand.

"Dark Synchro Chip! Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

There was a purple flash which then expanded into a sphere surrounding Ivan's body.

"Coming…?" Forte muttered.

The sphere cleared and "CF" Ivan appeared on that spot: his "Cross Fusion" design had him gain the _Kanji_ symbols for "Mazokuchou" or "Demon Tribe Chief" set vertically on his helmet's forehead and colored blood red: the circuit-like patterns on his face were replaced by crack-like formations colored silver.

His chest area had a pattern forming the _Kanji_ symbol for "Ma" or "Demon" over his chest emblem, which remained the same one.

His forearms patterns changed from golden to blood red and his bodysuit color became jet black.

His legs had two parallel purple stripes running down their sides.

"Listen: humanity! The world's current Demon Tribe Chief, Nakayami Ivan, is speaking! Our organization, Silver Arrow, has covered the world in unending "Dark"! You are witnessing the desperate sacrifice of the only remaining "hero" capable of defying the Demon Tribe! Carrying on the will of the former Demon King – sama, Twilight – sama of "Nebula", we shall spread terror and fear across the world!" "CF" Ivan announced.

His voice echoed everywhere coming out of multiple speakers installed on the tower. Forte checked one of his ear pads.

"Forte? The team is approaching the outer firewalls: there are about four of them." Blues reported.

"Good. I'll win for time. Maintain radio silence." Forte whispered.

The ground shook and a reddish/orange transparent circle formed: it began to lift up with Forte standing on it and "CF" Ivan dropped into it and landing with grace: the circle stopped once it was about thirty meters into the air and a purple rim formed around its diameter.

"Forte! We'll let you taste the ultimate execution method of us "Demon Tribe": the _Infinite Naraku_!" "CF" Ivan announced.

"What!" Forte gasped.

"CF" Ivan roared and was surrounded by purple fire which hid his body for some seconds: it then began to clear: Forte gasped in surprise again: "CF" Ivan's body had changed.

"W-what!"

The body had gained what looked like an extra layer of armored body colored deep brown with some white patterns drawn across it forming diamonds there and there.

His face remained the same but his red eyes displayed a murderous lust to them.

"T-that's…! It looks like the "Demon God" form Twilight's "double" gained when he used Duo's technology!" Forte exclaimed.

"You won't be standing against our overwhelming power as we keep on pushing you… And, when you reach the edge, we'll chase you and make you fall below!" "CF" Ivan proclaimed.

Forte gasped and looked at the avenue beneath him for a second before facing forward again.

"True! We'll mince you and drop you into Hell! You'll become Demon King – sama's food within His land! Forte!" "CF" Ivan exclaimed next.

He began to walk towards Forte at a quick pace.

"Dark Arm Blade!"

He tried to hit "CF" Ivan, but he merely assumed a slight defensive pose and the blade bounced off with a metallic sound: "CF" Ivan then delivered a quick kick to Forte on his lower jaw and pushed him back while disorienting him for a second: he delivered a second kick to the chest emblem and Forte recoiled again until he stepped into the limit despite his attempts to counter.

"Hra~h!"

"Shit."

"CF" Ivan tackled into him and he fell over the border: a second platform formed five meters below and Forte landed face-up on it with a hard THUD sound: he groaned and tried to sit up.

TCHAC!

"Grah!"

Forte groaned once he felt a Long Sword having been plunged deep into his chest emblem: "CF" Ivan was using it: he then took it out and began to kick Forte while he was trying to ignore the damage.

"D-Darkness Overload!"

He shot the blast at "CF" Ivan, who took it fully and emerged wholly unscratched: he then kicked Forte on his balls and sent him flying over the edge into a third platform 20 meters above the ground.

"G-grah…"

TCHAC!

"GUOAH!"

This time, "CF" Ivan had plunged the Muramasa Blade into him and Forte could begin to feel his "Ultimate Program" losing stability.

"D-damn. Hell's Buster!"

The shots bounced off the armored body and only made some metallic sounds: "CF" Ivan then delivered several quick and powerful punches to Forte's upper torso and they began to crack his body armor and reveal his cyber flesh beneath it: Forte looked like he was being overwhelmed by the pain.

"S-shit…! Hell's Rolling!"

The two wheels merely climbed up the armored "CF" Ivan and continued until they shot past the edge and dissipated: "CF" Ivan was unfazed as he landed the right foot on Forte's right shoulder: it creaked and Forte yelped in pain before "CF" Ivan pushed him off for the third time: they were now 15 meters above ground level.

"Grah… Ugh… Ah… Wasn't… kidding… the bastard…!" Forte hissed while he felt pain everywhere.

He felt "CF" Ivan crushing his left knee and he yelled in pain again as "CF" Ivan took out a Long Sword and made a large cut spanning all the way from the left shoulder to the left hand: it began to leak data out and Forte felt that arm go numb.

"M-my body… The bastard's… slowly… Killing me…!" Forte cursed as he tried to contain his pain.

He was kicked on the balls again and pushed into the fourth platform 10 meters above ground.

"D-damn… I'll be dead by the time I reach the ground at this rate…! Gotta… do something…!" He cursed.

"CF" Ivan crushed his neck and he tried to use the right hand to pull the foot out as he felt an intense pain: "CF" Ivan merely made another cut spanning from the right hip to the right foot: it also leaked data and became numb as well.

"Fuck!"

Forte was kicked in the lower jaw and into the fifth platform: they were just 5 meters from ground level by now.

"Hmpf. You caught Ms. Slur off-guard by raising your power to over 60% by accident, but… That won't do against me." "CF" Ivan finally spoke and sounded bored.

"Y-you… bastards… freaks…!" Forte cursed.

"Yeah. We're freaks. We've known it from the start. Have you made your will? You will die here and now." "CF" Ivan coolly replied.

"The _Naraku_ awaits your leftovers."

"Vaccine Chip: Shoot!" A familiar voice announced.

The blast hit "CF" Ivan's chest emblem and it began to emit rainbow-colored flashes.

"Mugro~h!"

He roared and dropped into his knees while clutching his chest emblem: a soothing blue light began to travel down his body and both he and Sergei roared.

"Grawa~h!"

Freeze Man dropped into the area and picked Forte up before jumping over to a nearby rooftop.

"Y-you're…!"

"True. Freeze Man. We hadn't seen each other since almost two years ago…"

"Uh… You… and Rock Man… were there… I… remember…" Forte replied between groans.

They landed on the rooftop and Freeze Man laid Forte face-up on it as he panted and tried to hold back his groans.

"Shuryou told me to assist the tower intrusion from the Cyber World, but… I felt like Nakayami wasn't going to play around anymore and that it could become deadly. I asked Hikari – hakase for a "Vaccine Chip" and it's having the desired effect: his "Dark Synchro Chip" shall break and he will be forced out of "Cross Fusion"..."

"G-good…!" Forte groaned.

Freeze Man looked up at the platform: it had descended until the ground level and Ivan was kneeling on the ground and panting.

"Success."

His Link PET had dropped in front of him and had ejected the "Dark Synchro Chip": it was broken and impossible to use in the current status.

"I doubt Sergei being in shape to come out after being forced out of "Cross Fusion"…" He muttered.

"S-sure…"

Suddenly, the Link PET projected light and Sergei, who still had the armored form, came out: he crouched next to Ivan and helped him stand up.

"Damn. He must've had a Recovery Battle Chip ready." Freeze Man cursed aloud.

Ivan managed to stand up and seemed to be recovering: he even made a small chuckle and lowered his gaze.

"Heh… Freeze Man showed up. But… It matters not." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah. He shall die, too." Sergei added.

Ivan rummaged his left vest pocket and took out _another_ "Dark Synchro Chip": Freeze Man gasped.

"Okay! My physical strength is still in top shape and you just used a Recovery Chip, so… Let's go for it again!" Ivan announced.

"Heh, heh, heh. What bothersome foolish guys!" Sergei exclaimed.

He dematerialized and Ivan readied the "Dark Synchro Chip": some Electric – Attribute Viruses materialized and surrounded Freeze Man.

"Damn. Rubbish." He cursed.

"Dark Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

The "Cross Fusion" formed again and "CF" Ivan jumped into the balcony while he folded his arms.

"Shit." Freeze Man cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh… It almost got me, it almost did… And the new-gen "Vaccine Chip" effects don't work on "Dark Synchro Chips"! Bwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Be reduced to ashes and dust! Freeze Man!" "CF" Ivan announced.

"Damn. Is this the end?" Freeze Man cursed.

"H-Hell's… Buster…!"

The shots disposed of the Viruses and Freeze Man looked at Forte, who'd been able to lift his right arm a bit.

"I'll say thanks. Don't try anything reckless: your body can't take anything else in."

"R-roger…"

Freeze Man jumped into the air and headed towards "CF" Ivan.

"Ice Tower!"

Several Ice Towers formed around "CF" Ivan and enclosed him: he merely kicked or punched them to break free.

"Ice Cannon Ball!"

Freeze Man threw the sphere at him and froze his whole body: but it suddenly began to heat up and a familiar shape formed around him as the ice melted.

"Damn. Salamander Battle Chip…!" He cursed.

"Useless! Useless! Die!" "CF" Ivan laughed.

He formed purple electricity on both of his hands and ignited his boosters to fly towards Freeze Man.

"Dream Aura!"

"CF" Ivan punched the Dream Aura and it began to crack and shatter, to Freeze Man's horror.

"I'm a breaking type! Shields are useless against me!" "CF" Ivan exclaimed while laughing.

"… Huh? Che. _Lil bro_! The other guys are breaking through the tower's firewalls: they've reached Level 3! These guys here were distracting us to begin with!" Sergei reported.

"Bah. Don't mind 'em, _big bro_! We'll have had more than enough time to kill both of them before they get past the giant armored Security Navis to begin with." "CF" Ivan replied.

"Roger."

"Heh. Flame Sword! Fire Punch! Die!"

"CF" Ivan plunged the Flame Sword into the right shoulder and then hit the chest emblem several times with the Fire Punch: Freeze Man roared and his chest armor broke to reveal his main program beneath its layers of armor.

"Hah!"

"CF" Ivan then sliced off both legs beneath the knees and the left hand before kicking Freeze Man into the roof: he crashed into it next to Forte and groaned.

"This way, you'll experience what Anakin Skywalker went through in Mustafar! Bwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"CF" Ivan landed back on the balcony and displayed his closed right fist in a sign of victory.

"We Demon Tribe win this day!" "CF" Ivan announced.

"Yeah! The world now knows Silver Arrow can't be stopped!" Sergei added with eagerness.

"Farewell!" Both exclaimed.

One "Dimensional Converter" shone and "CF" Ivan was warped away from the site while a Science Labs van ran into the area and parked close by: both Yuuichirou and Meijin climbed down and climbed up the fire stairs into the roof to tend to both Navis.

"Meijin! Bring out the empty Link PETs." Yuuichirou commanded.

"Roger."

Meijin held out two empty Link PETs: Forte dematerialized while Freeze Man abandoned his "Copy Roid" body.

"I guess that even his diamond wouldn't have helped… What a day!"

"True, Hikari – hakase… What now?"


	36. Chapter 36: Aftermath

**Chapter 36: Aftermath**

11:51 AM (Japan Time), Friday October the 15th…

"… There it is: the energy core!"

"Good!"

The eleven Navis crossed broke through the final firewall and made it inside of Sharo Tower's Cyber World: Laser Man signaled a glowing black sphere floating inside of the Cyber World.

"Destroy it! Neo Variable Sword!" Blues commanded.

"Needle Cannon!"

"Tomahawk Air Raid!"

"Meddy Capsule!"

"Napalm Arm!"

"Star Breaker Laser!"

"Mag Missile!"

"Tornado Arm!"

The core shook and vibrated with each attack: it began to shrink down before it blew up just like a supernova.

"Code 222. Code 222." An automated voice rang out.

"Damn. Self-destruct device…!" Blues growled.

"Plug Out!" Enzan commanded.

"Roger!"

The eleven Navis escaped at hatches opened on the ground and large bombs were deployed all across the Cyber World: they counted down from 60 to 0 and then detonated in a sequential pattern starting by the innermost ones and ending by the outermost ones.

"Look! The tower's exploding!"

The real world building began to blow up, too: many segments of it began to burn up and others collapsed: it wouldn't function again.

"… Even though we've stopped the tower… The battle was lost."

A heavy air lingered around the Science Labs' main briefing room: Meijin and Yuuichirou were there along with the rest of Duo's "Chosen Ones" (with the exceptions of Meiru, who wasn't there, and Dr. Regal, who hadn't been involved in that affair).

"… Yeah. But… This isn't the first time. We couldn't defeat Pharaoh Man, we didn't defeat Gospel by mere force and we didn't defeat Shade Man, so… But that doesn't mean we must be depressed: we aren't perfect or invincible and neither are those guys!" Netto argued.

"… True. We may lose some battles. But we mustn't lower our morale! We will win the next round." Yuuichirou tried to rally.

The air seemed to lighten up and everyone looked up.

"… True. You cannot always win a battle. But if you can know what went wrong and how to fix it, then you'll win the next one." Laika brought up.

"Yeah. My tomahawk will guide us to victory!" Dingo tried to improvise a motto.

"It'll lead us to Maha Ichiban's." Tomahawk Man corrected with a hint of sarcasm on his voice.

"Good idea. Some curry will brighten my mood."

"I'll lawsuit them: they stole my mottos." Shadow Man let out.

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Yeah! Lawsuit 'em!"

"I'll devour the whole restaurant!"

"That wouldn't surprise me." Jasmine admitted.

"Go and ease your mood. We'll heal Forte and Freeze Man in the meanwhile." Yuuichirou told them.

"Good! Let's get to work!"

12:50 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum, hum, hum!"

Dingo was whistling a tune as he took care of the counter: the restaurant's phone rang and he picked it up.

"Hello there! Maha Ichiban Curry Shop! What can we help you with?" He asked.

"I would like a delivered Maha Special… I'll dictate my address." A hoarse voice announced.

"Good! Please dictate it to me." Dingo smiled.

Dingo took note of it and ripped the post-it from the bloc.

"You shall have it in about one hour's time." Dingo announced.

"Excellent. Later." The caller replied.

Dingo placed the receiver back on its place.

"A Maha Special for delivery was the order?" Maha guessed as he popped his head out of the kitchen.

"Yeah! Oi! Hinoken! Can you drive me there with the delivery van? It's about five kilometers from here." Dingo called out.

"Sure thing."

"Hinoken." Wily called out.

"Y-yeah, Dr. Wily – sama?" He nervously asked.

"No grudges."

"Huh! By your orders!" Hinoken saluted.

"Heh, heh, heh. Good, good! Make that fire inside of you burn!" Wily sounded amused.

Hinoken ran into the garage and quickly checked that the van was in perfect condition while Fire Man sighed in relief…

14:08 PM (Japan Time)…

"... Here's the place!"

Hinoken stopped the van in front of a traditional temple which looked a bit dusty and worn out, however.

"Whoa! I can't believe a monk requested curry! I thought they didn't eat this kind of things." Dingo whistled in surprise.

"Maybe he's an oddball. Hello there! Maha Ichiban's delivery service is here!" Hinoken called out.

They stood still for about five minutes: no – one replied.

"Maybe he's deaf?" Dingo suggested.

"Che! Let's have a look."

Hinoken walked over to the sliding paper door and slid it away: they both walked in.

"Hello~?"

The rooms were unfurnished and dusty: they kept walking and found a restroom and a bedroom.

"Is anyone home~? Maha Ichiban's delivery service~! We bring you order, _Danna_ – sama~!"

Both looked like they had been used recently and Dingo eyed some black pajamas on the bed.

"That's odd... Look at the size of those pajamas. They look like they belong to a teen and not an adult." Dingo frowned as he examined them.

"Let's keep looking…" Hinoken suggested.

They found a wood door ajar and entered another room.

"Hello…? Whoa!"

They both stopped dead on their tracks: the room was obviously Silver Arrow's HQ server room.

"_What_ is this place?" Hinoken uttered.

"Hinoken! Look at that emblem on the far wall!" Dingo pointed out.

"… Huh…? Hum… That's a silver arrow…? Silver Arrow, you say…! No way…! Impossible! We… We've…!" Hinoken gasped.

He dropped the delivery case on the ground from the surprised and his jaw hit the floor.

"We've stumbled upon their HQ!"

"And if that Ivan bloke was the one living here then the size of those clothes now makes sense…"

"Hmmm… It looks like he isn't back yet…" Dingo commented as he paid attention to any sounds.

"Can you remember the voice of the requester, Dingo?" Hinoken asked.

"Huh… It sounded hoarse and slightly aphonic… So I thought it was an adult. I didn't really pay attention to it."

"In any case! Let's call the Net Police…!"

A cell phone set on top of the table and next to the computer vibrated to signal an incoming call: Dingo took out a handkerchief and picked the cell phone: he activated the speaker function.

"I insist, Mr. Janus! Camouflage Man is the best spy you could ask for! You thought you'd cut me off? I used one of the previous numbers you gave me! I, _Sargento_ Fred Sneaky, will give you firsthand info on the doings of the Net Police! Hello?" A familiar voice exclaimed in a rush.

"I am afraid your employer has ditched ya, Sgt. Fidel Sneaky." Hinoken grinned.

"Who…? Impossible! The HQ is impossible to find! It's hidden in such a superb way that no one would ever suspect where it is!" Fidel exclaimed in a rush.

"We got a tip-off." Dingo admitted.

"By all the _habanos _on Cuba, this can't be happening! _Yo me largo_!"

Dingo chuckled and left the phone back on its place after checking the call log and agenda: they were empty: Hinoken's Link PET rang and Fire Man projected with the hologram.

"Hinoken – sama. You have a call." He informed.

"Patch it through, Fire Man. It's probably the pals at Maha Ichiban's wondering what's taking us so much time."

"Hino Kenichi?" A distorted voice asked.

"Who…? A prankster…?" Hinoken questioned with a hint of annoyance.

"Nope. Call me Akanokabe." The caller announced.

"Yamikawa: we know it's you."

"My, my… You like killing the suspense, Dingo!" Saruba told him.

"Where are those two?"

"They had another hideout ready! Check the servers: they're empty and so is the mainframe! They then requested of me to leak this place out so that they could say "gotcha!" to you guys. After all… You've been looking like madmen for any abandoned temples but you didn't think it could be so close by!" Saruba explained with some amusement.

"Che. Smug-faced fellow…" Hinoken grumbled.

"By the way! Haven't you realized why Wily ordered you to store away your grudges?" Saruba teased.

"… Freeze Man! Freeze Man was fighting there and he was beaten! I could've gone and used the chance to have Fire Man pay back what he suffered!" Hinoken exclaimed.

"Crap." Fire Man grimly muttered.

"Jeez." Tomahawk Man rolled his eyes.

"This guy…" Dingo grumbled.

"I know I draw sympathy from no – one. It's not like I ever intended to, anyway." Saruba shrugged.

"So? What are ya plottin'?"

"Nothing. I'll simply go and test how good you guys are at chit-chat: it's rather amusing."

"Well! I don't see the point of it."

"Of course you don't: it's four words to the right."

"Don't you mean a dot?" Dingo asked.

"Sorry. I mistook it for the Catalan word _punt_ which can also mean the orthographic sign or score." Saruba admitted.

"Ah. You wanna be the genius."

"I don't "wanna be the genius": I _am_ a genius."

"Rhetoric." Hinoken scoffed.

"Don't you mean double-edged words? Blues seems to be fond of them as of late!" Saruba teased.

"If ya were solid, I could beat you a thousand times over!" Dingo announced as he drew the tomahawk.

"Nope. The tomahawk would lead to you to the Bermuda Triangle and you'll vanish inside of it before that." Tomahawk Man sarcastically told Dingo while looking unimpressed.

"Jeez. Why do ya always see flaws to everything?" Dingo rolled his eyes in defeat.

"…'Cause there are flaws to begin with, Dingo… No – one and nothing is perfect."

"Che." Dingo grumbled.

"Tee, heh, heh. Our Sioux Tribe One is getting impatient." Somari suddenly teased.

"… Oi, oi, oi…! Somari – chan… You're into Vulcan Raven's mottos by now…? You _just_ had to say it, didn't you?" Saruba sounded surprised.

"Tee, heh, heh. Our Prince – sama is getting sharp."

"Aren't I supposed to be the Emperor?" Saruba seemed to be frowning on the other end of the line.

"It's a form of speaking…" Somari seemed to roll her eyes.

"Let the Sioux crawl across the ground." Solo teased.

"I see this is evolving into a private chat. Why don't you cut us off and call us back when you have serious stuff to tell us?" Dingo looked unimpressed by now.

"Good idea: we're gonna go play Scrabble in the meanwhile. Our beloved monsters… Enjoy yourselves…" Saruba teased.

"Farewell!" The three of them exclaimed.

The line went dead and Hinoken scratched the back of his head.

"Hinoken – sama. I contacted Blues. A Scene Investigation team is heading over here. We should depart the premises and make sure we didn't touch anything." Fire Man announced.

"Sure thing. Let's head off."

"And no tomahawks, Dingo: I know ya way too well." Tomahawk Man warned.

"Jeez."

They made their way back to the entrance and climbed into the delivery van to wait for the team.

"I guess Enzan will bombard us with questions… But we did get to record the whole talk with Yamikawa." Dingo sighed.

"He's somewhat of a weird fellow, ain't he?" Hinoken commented.

"Sure…" Fire Man muttered.

"…"Weird" doesn't come close to describing him. You can't even begin to imagine what he'll do next." Dingo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. He's very strong, too, so we'd be better off by not provoking him at all: he must be terrible when angered." Tomahawk Man added with a hint of fear on his voice.

"… Yo! We brought over a Maha Special."

"… Thank… you…"

Netto and Saito had come to visit Meiru at the hospital: she was sitting on the bed and had a better look, but she kept on looking absent – minded and distracted.

"… Huh…" Both muttered.

She picked the spoon and began to slowly eat the Maha Special while Netto and Saito looked on.

"So… How do you feel? Roll – chan?" Saito asked.

"… More or less… Since I'm missing the most gruesome memories, I can handle it, but… My body won't be the same anymore. I have a large scar inside of me which will remain there." Roll muttered.

"… I see." Saito looked down.

"Huh? Ah! But… Saito – kun… Don't blame yourself for not realizing it earlier: I know it must be consuming you and Netto - san. The important part is that we were saved. That's all which matters."

"… Yeah… That's… what matters…" Meiru slowly muttered.

"… Oh! Did you know? Saruba went ahead and patented "sunian" sans your permission… Why don't you teach him some manners?" Netto tried to come up with something to brighten her mood.

"… Heh. Kagehi mustn't give a cent for him: it's obvious that the whole "adventure" cooled down time ago. And he's gonna know what happens when he steals off my motto…" Meiru slowly formed a smug smile and began to sound like her usual mood.

"Uh-huh! Niisan! Ask Search Man to lend us his optical camouflage: we don't wanna be cursed by the class' heroine!" Netto told Saito in a joke-like tone.

"Sure. He'll also take a step back: Laika has enough trouble standing Pride's teasing." Saito managed to smile as well and sounded rather amused.

"My. A princess and a soldier… How will this end up like?"

"Heh. Ain't it obvious? Sharo Nation's cold will freeze it up." Meiru kept on having a smug smile on her face.

"But they'll call Napalm Man "Nenjiro" and he'll melt the ice with his own flames."

"… So… You want us to delay Freeze Man's waking up so that you can go back and use the robot body?"

"Yeah. It's the only way to have him cooperate with our side."

Forte's repairs were almost over and he'd been woken up: he was now speaking with Yuuichirou and making a request out of him.

"Well… I won't deny it. But he'll probably see through it one day: that mask can't last forever." Yuuichirou replied.

"I knew that, hakase." Forte admitted.

"Good enough." Yuuichirou replied.

"Thank you very much." Forte thanked.

"… Tee, heh, heh."

"Guts?"

"Our Gorilla Man is gonna punch his own face one day!"

"Guts? Punch the face…?"

Guts Man actually punched his face and collapsed face-up on the ground while Colored Man giggled under his breath at his joke…


	37. Chapter 37: Sidier's birth

**Chapter 37: Sidier's birth**

15:49 PM (Japan Time), Friday October the 15th…

"… Huh…? Where… the heck is this…?"

"Dunno…"

"CF" Ivan woke up and realized that he was lying face down on a ground made of brown square tiles somewhere.

"What the…? Weren't we heading back to the hideout?" "CF" Ivan wondered as he tried to lift up.

"Yeah. But a "hole" opened while on transit and sucked us up… I can't remember anything else." Sergei replied.

"CF" Ivan managed to sit down on the ground and panted from the effort done: he looked at his body.

"Huh? The Armored Form… It's been deactivated. Did you do it while on transit, _big bro_?"

"No. I didn't do that, _lil bro_."

"CF" Ivan blinked several times in quick succession: his sight was becoming more focused.

"Huh…?"

He tried to stand up and managed to do so leaning on some kind of rod: he tried to look towards it but it was emitting an intense light so he closed his eyes and tried to look elsewhere.

"Too bright…!"

He suddenly realized that he was standing inside of some kind of circular-shaped dome made of a bluish light.

"… Weird."

"Yeah. This doesn't feel like the real world to begin with." Sergei added with a hint of confusion.

"CF" Ivan looked beyond the "wall" of light: he could see a purplish fog which was scattered across the area: he then looked upwards and saw a purple sky with some clouds moving across it.

"… Where have I seen this before?" He wondered.

"It rings a bell…"

"CF" Ivan scanned the surroundings and realized that this dome was placed in inside of a big circular room.

"Huh?"

He could see a black shape placed on the middle of it. He tried to focus his sight again: it was some black onyx steps leading to a throne of the same color which was giving him the back.

"A throne… Purple colors… No way…! This place is…!" "CF" Ivan muttered before gasping.

"The Great Sky Temple…!" Sergei gasped.

"Correct, Nakayami Brothers." A voice rang out.

The throne slowly turned around and they spotted Saruba sitting on it: he looked calm and composed.

"Emperor S – sama!" Both gasped.

"While I would like to congratulate you two for defeating both Forte and Freeze Man… I'm afraid to inform you two that the show is over." Saruba dully told them.

"The show…?"

"You mean Silver Arrow…? But…! We've just proven our power! We can't be defeated just like that!"

"However… The show has gone through its climax and is now trekking the road to the conclusion. Your deeds have been more than enough. Soon enough, a fresh cast will pick up where you left and continue this cycle started by Dr. Wily."

"T-then… Do we have to shut down Silver Arrow?" "CF" Ivan gasped.

"And by "fresh cast"… Shun and Hunter Man… They are supposed to be our successors?" Sergei gasped.

"Correct. Also… The reason I pulled you two over here is because… I found an interesting use to your _body_."

"Body… You mean to say that our personalities are unnecessary?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sergei grimly muttered.

"Hmpf. Correct. Your personalities are unnecessary." Saruba made a smug smile.

"… This guy… He wants to kill us!" "CF" Ivan roared.

"We won't go down sans a fight!" Sergei hissed.

"Have you forgotten? I am in control."

He snapped his right hand's fingers and the diamond energizing the "safe zone" shattered into several fragments: both Ivan and Sergei gasped in horror.

"No…!"

The "safe zone" tilted and began to decrease in size before it totally vanished: the purple atmosphere began to drain "CF" Ivan's HP and he dropped into his knees while looking stunned.

"We're gonna…" "CF" Ivan began.

"… Die…?" Sergei gasped.

"NO~!" Both roared in agony.

The body suddenly collapsed face-down on the ground and didn't move anymore.

"Hmpf. Their personalities have entered hibernation mode. But this is where I come in. My plan can be executed. Gotta thank Solo for his little idea…" Saruba grinned.

He climbed down and walked next to the limp body: he crouched beside it and took out a black chip implant.

"Hmpf."

He used a Sword Battle Chip to make a cut on the forehead before he inserted the chip and the cut section regenerated: the _Kanji_ and the cracks on the left side of the face vanished.

"This chip implant will "seal" their personalities and place a new one in place… It's impossible to destroy a personality, after all. But this new one will be the main one and those other two will be sleeping forever. I've turned this body into cybernetic data, so it'll become just like us three: he will look young and _will_ have a young mind, but… He'll evolve and become a powerful _warrior_ under my command." Saruba muttered aloud with some evil on his voice.

"Interesting."

"Intriguing."

Somari and Solo walked over there after they stepped inside of the room and Saruba looked up.

"_Good timing_. Let's assume positions: rooting and booting are already half-undergone." Saruba told them.

Saruba walked back towards the throne and sat down on it while Solo and Somari stood at his flanks.

"Any time now…"

The "Cross Fusion" body opened his eyes: they were firstly devoid of life but soon they gained a reddish / golden color: the other _Kanji_ on his chest were gone, too.

"Welcome. Disciple." Saruba announced.

"My Lord." The warrior kneeled and bowed.

"Do you know why you are here?" Saruba questioned in calm tone of voice and having a smile on his face.

"My Lord. I have been granted life to serve thou forever with this flesh and mind. Command me." The warrior announced in a Samurai – like speech register.

"Excellent. From today onwards, you shall be known as - _Sidier_." Saruba announced.

"… My name is Sidier: I serve thou, my lord. Please bestow a command upon me."

"You will undergo the initiation training. You will visit 3 Temples across this Land and battle several opponents. You will know how to fight and gain experience. You will be granted one title once you manage to complete each Temple. Gather 3 and you will be allowed to come back here: you shall test your own power against us." Saruba listed.

"… By thou command. Guide me, my lord."

"Go East: the Death Tribe is waiting for you."

"Roger. May I go, my lord?"

"Go. Make me proud." Saruba commanded.

Sidier bowed and then stood up: he saluted and clasped his heels in a military manner.

"Good."

Saruba merely signaled the door and Sidier headed over there without looking back and at a calm and collected pace.

"Yes, over there."

He stopped to let it open and he then disappeared inside of the corridor: the doors closed behind him.

"Heh, heh, heh. I know where ya got the name from."

"That was an intelligent move." Somari told him.

"Thank you, my friends. I've locked up his Armored Body form so that he learns to battle with the autonomous Battle Chip System I installed."

"Oh?" Solo looked amused.

"Crafty."

"He won't look back and he shall look forward." Saruba announced with a smile.

"And the others will believe both have decided to go meet Obihiro and hide along him while allowing him to jump into the stage on their spot until they can strike back by surprise and deliver a fatal blow… That's a good plan." Somari deduced.

"_Meitantei_ Somari – chan strikes back." Solo joked.

"Oh? Maybe you wanna sing "a – le – le" fifty times without a break, Kuroumi Solo?" Somari announced.

Both men gulped: Solo looked at the ceiling and Saruba looked elsewhere while looking nervous.

"Tee, heh, heh. You still despise the music class of elementary school, don't you? I was the only one who ever got good grades on it. Tee, heh, heh." Somari giggled.

"Man." Both Saruban and Solo muttered.

"See ya two around, _handsome_ guys…" Somari announced as she headed towards the doors.

She stepped into the corridor and both men waited until the doors had locked behind her to sigh in relief.

"The nightmare of the music class… I can't shake it off even though that was over twenty-five years ago." Solo grimly muttered.

"I can't, either. That teacher was a Demon: she loved pulling our ears and punishing us without break time to make us sing properly enough… And both of our parents agreed that teachers should be like that."

"… Huff! Yeah… I guess I'm off to working on a new battle pattern… After all… Sidier will take a while to clear the Temples… I'd say a month's time, more or less." Solo smiled.

"That was in my calculations, too. But we'll have to sit back and contemplate." Saruba grinned as well.

Solo chuckled under his breath and stepped out while Saruba brought up a holographic screen and looked at a map.

"Hmpf. Target: located. Obihiro: I've set you on my eyes. There's nowhere for you to run off to. Heh, heh, heh…" He muttered.

He then shut it down and also departed the throne room to step into his own bedroom: he shut the door behind him and picked a book labeled _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_.

"Good stuff, yeah…"

He sat down on the chair and flipped through the pages until he found the spot he'd stopped at.

"Heh, heh, heh. This book is a good source of inspiration, too. Who knows? Maybe I'll get an original idea of mine thanks to it, too… Slowly and carefully… Enjoy yourself, Obihiro… You'll soon know to fear my might and you will do whatever I command." He muttered with a hint of evil on his voice.

He leant the chair backwards to lean it against the wall and calmly resumed reading while looking amused.

_I'm a genius! Heh, heh, heh!_

"… What? The HQ has been found out?"

"Yes, Shun – sama. Emperor S – sama leaked the location. But it'd seem it was a request from Sergei – sama. Maybe they have found a new one and that one wasn't useful anymore, sir..."

Obihiro Shun was sitting in a sofa inside of a largely unlit living room somewhere: a nearby fireplace was on and provided some heat and illumination to the room.

He'd been working with a laptop when Hunter Man showed up using his Link PET's hologram.

"Guess they must want to go keep a low profile… It'd seem we'll have to jump into the front line in the meanwhile." Obihiro guessed.

"What should we do for the time being, though, Shun – sama?" Hunter Man requested.

"I dunno… Let's try looking at the data they granted us but we should stay far from Japan: maybe they'll forget about us." Obihiro decided as he leant backwards on the sofa and folded his arms.

"Roger."

"Check out security."

"By your orders, Shun – sama." Hunter Man confirmed.

Obihiro sighed and picked up a cup with some mineral water on it: he slowly drank it and then left it back on its place.

"So… I'm gonna have to create my own organization, sooner or later… If I were to follow the criteria Ivan used, I should begin the name with "Bronze"… We had a star and an arrow… Why not a sword? Yeah. "Bronze Sword": that'll be my organization's name. I'll keep it small: maybe I'll hire someone, but I won't go over two members." He muttered while bringing a hand to his chin.

"… This is the place. My initiation will begin here, then. I am ready for anything: let us enter."

Sidier was standing in front of the Death Temple's entrance: he stepped inside and into the main arena: Ox Fire DS was standing there and the "safe zones" had been removed ever since last time around.

"Welcome! You are Sidier, then." Ox Fire DS greeted.

"Yes, sir. Thou are Ox Fire DS, the Death Tribe Chief?" Sidier asked while saluting.

"Correct. I see calm and composure on you. That's good: it's the first thing a warrior must have. I shall admit that Emperor S once dwelled here with us before he became the mighty man he is today..."

"I see, sir."

"If you are to follow on his and his companions' footsteps, then you shall have to fight each of the warriors individually until you get to me." Ox Fire DS explained.

"Yes, sir. I am ready to begin anytime." Sidier saluted.

"Good! But I shall show you to your quarters first. You shall dwell on them while training here." Ox Fire DS announced.

"Yes, sir. By your orders." Sidier saluted.

Sidier followed Ox Fire DS towards the right wall: a large segment of it split in two and opened, thus revealing a tall and wide corridor.

"Hrum. Over here."

Several doors were placed at its sides. Ox Fire DS opened one and revealed a very Spartan-like room: there was just a bed and a chair and the walls were bare and had no decoration whatsoever.

"These rooms are designed to help meditation and concentration: you will need to use them to fight amongst us. Rest for an hour and then come out: your opponent shall be waiting." Ox Fire DS announced.

Sidier merely saluted and sat down on the bed while examining his body and then the walls with an analytical and calm glance.

_My initiation begins. I shall make Emperor S proud._

"… Buku! Chief! The new guy came? Buku?"

"Not the "new guy", you mean the "new warrior", Cancer Bubble DS. And don't use that silly speech style. It irritates me."

Cancer Bubble DS met with Ox Fire DS on the main room: the Chief sighed and leant both punches on his body while Cancer Bubble DS gulped and seemed to realize he was right.

"R-roger, sir! I won't interfere, sir! I'll wait for my turn to shine, sir!"

"Good… Things are going to get _hot_… Heh, heh, heh!"

"But not too hot either." Wolf Forest DS suddenly dropped down from a ledge higher in the wall.

"It's a way of speaking, Wolf Forest DS."

"I apologize, sir. I got paranoid." He saluted.

"Don't mind it, warrior. You're weak to heat, anyway."

"And heat can make my water boil too. Buku." Cancer Bubble DS admitted with a sigh.

"Welcome to the club." Ophiucus Queen DS crawled out of another entrance and formed a smile.

"What club? Buku?"

"The Anti-Heat Club, you see, _boy_."

"Queen – sama's pulling my leg, buku." He protested.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh."

"Ophiucus Queen DS… When will you stop teasing Cancer Bubble DS because he's the youngest? I thought you liked to do that with the Gemini Spark DS twins?" Ox Fire DS sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well, Purple is terrorized of me and Black has fun doing favors to me so it's a curious mix, yes. But trying to tease this _little boy_ is fun too."

"Huff. As long as you don't poison him or anything like that…" Ox Fire DS seemed to be fed up with the discussion by now.

"No, no! I have no use for poison but my little pets like to play around, you see… Tee, heh, heh, heh."

"Don't come up with tentacle _hentai_ next." He grumbled.

"Ops. No, no. I won't, Chief. Be assured of it. I didn't meat that."

"Buku! I'm off before I get bitten by a thousand snakes! Buku!"

"Great. And stay away from Sidier or else Emperor S – sama will get annoyed at you. What a club we are, really. Huff!"


	38. Chapter 38: Like everyday

**Chapter 38: Like everyday**

16:58 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday October the 20th…

"… So, Enzan… Have you made progress?"

"Yeah. We found a lot of stuff."

Enzan had come to visit Netto at home and they were chatting: Saito was also present.

"I guess there was no data on the new hideout of those two guys, am I right?" Saito guessed.

"Yeah. But security isn't any joke: none of us could've hoped to even get close undetected. And it was designed to block access from the inside, but Yamikawa left the passwords there for us to pick up. We will try to copy this system and add it to key facilities to easily detect approaching enemies." Blues explained.

"Was there anything on Obihiro?" Netto asked.

"There was a TXT file with the name "Three Hills" written into it. We've been looking around but we cannot find which of the multiple options is: there are several places named "Three Hills"." Enzan explained.

"…"Three Hills"…It could be an alias to begin with. But it's our only lead. I'd like to see him judged by his crimes."

"Otouto…" Saito glanced at him.

"I know: this not revenge or payback. It's justice." Netto lifted his left hand to defend himself.

"Have you made any progress with the healing?"

"I went to the hospital yesterday and they X-rayed my right arm: the bones are healing as calculated. But they told me to wait another three weeks. I'm supposed to go and have another check-up in ten days' time again."

"Ah. We also found something else…" Enzan trailed off.

"What?" Saito asked.

"… It _seemed _to be a photo of Riva's Operator having been executed using gallows." Blues announced.

"What!" Both gasped.

"Wait! We said _seemed_: it was Photoshop edit! They picked another person's photo and replaced the face. They must've used this to scare off the freelancers from talking about the location." Enzan quickly added.

"Ah…! Phew!" Both sighed in relief.

"In any case… The freelancers' locations aren't listed, either. But since we've begun posting search warrants, they won't have it easy to try to escape the country."

"… Have you found any hints regarding Nemenaya?" Netto asked while turning serious.

"No. They wrote her off. It'd seem they didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore and they did the same for Atamane." Enzan looked slightly worried.

"Che." Netto grumbled.

"We'll catch them next time around."

"Switching topics… It'd seem Sakurai recovered." Enzan decided to switch topics with a smile.

"Yeah. Total recovery, I'd say: she keeps on having that scary attitude around her. Dekao got a huge scolding and he's been punished with helping clean up the school after classes." Netto rolled his eyes.

"And Gorilla Man has to contribute as well by locking up all classrooms and checking that all Navis have left: but he fails at it." Saito grinned.

"True. He should be Gorilla Man." Blues smiled.

"Or Show-Off Man." Enzan suggested.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

08:09 AM (Havana Time), Wednesday October the 20th…

"… Che! I still can't believe _Señor_ Janus had to run away to another hideout after such a triumph. Well! I guess that's the price ya have to pay when the cops are after your skin."

Sneaky was smoking a cigar in an outdoor café somewhere: he was sitting in a chair and leaning against the building.

"_Sargento_ Fidel Sneaky?"

Two men with black suits and sunglasses walked over to him: the other customers gasped and some began to leave as discreetly as they could but both men paid no heed to those.

"Hmmm? That's me." He absent – mindedly replied.

"Ameroupe Net Police. We'd like you to come with us to answer some questions." One of the men announced as he took out a wallet with the emblem.

"GAH!"

His cigar flew out of his mouth from the surprise.

"How can you operate in _Cuba_? For God's sake?"

He jumped over the chair, turned it around and leant on it while he looked at the agents.

"We have a warrant from the Interpol." One of the men replied.

"_Infiernos_! Ya haven't seen the last of _Sargento_ Fidel Sneaky! By all the coconuts on La Habana!"

He took out a smoke grenade and the agents recoiled: Fidel took out the safety and threw it to the ground thus filling the terrace with smoke.

"Grah!"

"Ugh!"

"Shit! He ran!"

22:22 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday October the 20th…

"… What… Those two kids vanished?"

"Yeah. It'd seem they want us to get lax and then they'll hit us from nowhere to inflict double the damage."

"I should do the same, then!"

"No way…"

Airstar was having a dialogue with Tesla: she looked like she was about to copy that idea while Airstar sighed in defeat.

"Why don't ya try to locate Inukai to begin with and order him not to go around whipping people?" Airstar challenged.

"Bah. The kid had it coming." Tesla shrugged.

"Look. If you wanna play the evil lady again, then you and your father are gonna have to get the hell outta this apartment. Netto is my friend and no – one is gonna attack him in front of my noses." Airstar sounded like he was starting to get angry.

"Ah. But you'd lose the exquisite meals."

"I can live without those! Tesla Magnets! Behave or go and mount the "Neo WWW V2": but if you do the later then vanish from my life! I've had to bear with you for about one year already. Ever since November the 6th, you know!"

"Almost one year…? My. It looked like it'd been longer." Tesla calmly commented.

"Hum! Tesla… Why don't we bury that needless enmity and try to brighten the mood?" Gauss suggested as he hurried in.

"Bury it…?"

"Maybe this will help."

He produced a bottle of red wine with a French label: Tesla immediately looked animated.

"Oh! _Pas de Calais_, '99… This is a good choice." She announced while sounding in a better mood.

Gauss poured some of it into a cup and Tesla agitated it a bit to look at its color before he placed the rim next to her nose and smelt it for some seconds: she took a sip and looked in a good mood.

"Excellent." She announced.

"I'm glad you like it, Tesla." Gauss smiled.

Airstar merely rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat along with Gyro Man.

"… You know what? I'm off to do errands."

"I'm going to engage the chopper." Gyro Man announced.

"And one day you'll have to carry a whale. Tee, heh, heh!" Tesla suddenly joked.

"Yeah. And one day you'll find new competency at the doorstep and recklessly try to lawsuit 'em."

He quickly ran off while Tesla shrugged and kept on drinking the wine and Gauss smiled.

"… So?"

"Keep it: I insist."

"Hmm…"

"I insist: you'll need it again."

Miyabi and Wily were talking on Wily's underground refuge built underneath Onibi Island: Miyabi had Wily's model "Synchro Chip" on his right hand.

"Guess so…" Miyabi shrugged.

He pocketed it and then glanced around.

"It's quiet. Maybe I'll drop by here to meditate." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah. And then you'll discover you're a Force user." Shadow Man joked all of sudden.

"Hmmm. You came up with an original joke, didn't you?" Miyabi looked somewhat amused.

"Yeah. I did."

"Mind you: you're forgetting about the midi-chlorians." A familiar voice rang out.

They both gasped and spotted Saruba (using a hologram) projecting on the entrance and looking amused as he leant on the doorway.

"Yamikawa." Miyabi muttered.

"Well? I guess Saito will be in a good mood: I did complete his little suggestion."

"So. This one is the head of the Black Hole Area." Wily guessed.

"Yeah. And thanks to your magnificent invention, Dr. Wily. Guess I'll have to excuse in my predecessor's place for picking off those designs you left behind." Saruba looked amused.

"Ah. Those "Guardians", you mean to say… No big deal… I wouldn't have completed them, anyway."

"Heh, heh, heh. Oh. True, true… There's a black cat out there. It may bring misfortune." Saruba glanced outside of the room.

"My blade is what brings misfortunes to prideful ones." Shadow Man announced.

"Guess so… Then I better scram before you can draw it out." Saruba amusedly announced.

"I remind you: you aren't trustable." Miyabi warned.

"I never sought to be."

"Hmm… Something reeks about this runt…" Wily frowned and seemed to suspect something.

22:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Man! I'm cursed. I know it. No – one believes me!"

"Unless you happen to have proof of it, then there's no way they're gonna believe ya, Ooyama."

"Who…?"

Dekao had been cursing inside of his house's room when Saruba's hologram showed up on the threshold while looking amused.

"Just call me Yamikawa."

"Who are ya…? A 4th grader…?"

"No. I ended middle school time ago. Setting that asides… You can't go around accusing people out of paranoia: you gotta bring proof to back your claims. It's no wonder you've been punished: your nose grew just like a _tengu_'s." Saruba told him.

"What a…!" Dekao cursed.

He tried to hit him with a mop, but he passed through the body and he met the floor.

"W-what? You're a g-ghost…!"

"No. I'm a Navi! This is a hologram."

"Netto hired ya to laugh at my face!" Dekao accused.

"Proof?" Saruba challenged.

"Grah!"

"This is how real life works like, Ooyama."

"Become real and I'll beat you up!" Dekao challenged.

"You mean "materialize". I'm studying how to. But maybe I'll do that one day." Saruba grinned.

"T-this JERK!"

22:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmmm… This looks interesting."

"I can see it: you will be pulled into it."

"W-whoa!"

Hikawa had been reading a gaming magazine while sitting on the chair in front of his desk when Saruba popped out behind him and leant over his right shoulder.

"W-who…?" Hikawa asked.

"Why. Saito didn't introduce you guys to me. Call me Yamikawa." Saruba announced.

"H-how did you get inside…?" Hikawa questioned.

"I'm a Navi and I'm using a projected image."

"Don't you know it's rude to enter someone's house without their permission, Yamikawa?" Hikawa questioned.

"Sorry. But being holed up in the Cyber World for fifteen years totally eroded my manners." Saruba grinned.

"In any case! Please leave at once before I call the Net Police!" Hikawa told him.

"Sure. I'll leave you to your "exercises"."

He vanished and Hikawa suddenly blushed a lot: he looked at the ground and seemed to have gotten nervous.

"… Man." He muttered.

He looked around: his Link PET was empty: he then opened a drawer and took out a small metallic case: he sighed and looked resigned.

"… Ironically… I've gotten around to liking this stuff… And I think that I like Shuuichi – kun… Maybe… I'll speak with him one day…" He slowly muttered aloud.

22:53 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So? How was it like, Saruba?"

"Intriguing."

"Then I'll test it out next."

"Yeah. Ladies go first."

Saruba, Solo and Somari had gathered in the throne room and looked intrigued at Saruba's explanation.

"Yeah. Because I'm about to make you two undergo a rehearsal to polish your "a – le – le" tune." Somari made a smug smile.

As always, both men gulped and stepped back before looking elsewhere, seemingly nervous.

"Tee, heh, heh. This is my secret weapon. And it never runs out of ammunition. Tee, heh, heh." Somari giggled.

"T-then… Go ahead." Saruba invited.

"I t-think that I'll go spar with my companions…" Solo gulped.

"I'm not in a rush. I'll wait a while. And you'd be better off not trying to escape from my next concert."

"Oi, oi… Have we ever run away from a concert?"

"I don't remember such a thing happening…" Solo argued.

"Tee, heh, heh. It's just a warning. See you around, handsome guys… Work on those muscles of yours and you'll then pose for boxers' advert posters… Tee, heh, heh." Somari giggled.

She stepped out of the room and both sighed in relief again: Somari always seemed to have the upper hand.

"Man. I don't wanna provoke her at all. She can be so terrible when annoyed…" Solo grimly muttered.

"Yeah… I'm off for a walk." Saruba rolled his eyes.

22:58 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Chief, sir… This is odd, sir."

"What's odd, Cygnus Wing DS?"

"Well, Cancer Bubble DS is hiding in my room…"

"OPHICUS QUEEN DS!"

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh… You called? _Shachou_?"

"What "shachou"? I'm the Tribe Chief!"

Cygnus Wing DS had come to the main room of the Death Temple to report to Ox Fire DS: he roared at the top of his voice, scaring the hell outta Cygnus Wing DS and making Ophiucus Queen DS show up.

"You! What did I say 5 days ago? What have you done to Cancer Bubble DS? He's afraid of you!" He grumbled.

"My little pets found him juicy."

"This woman…!" He growled.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. Gonna set me on fire?"

"Of course not! But behave already! We're starting to look like incompetent imbeciles! What would Emperor S – sama think of this whole deal, huh?" He grumbled.

"You never know, Boss."

"Get back to your quarters and stay away from Cancer Bubble DS 'cause you're bullying him and from Sidier too! That's an ORDER! A FUCKING GODDAMN ORDER! SOMEONE HAS TO REMEMBER YOU WHO THE TRIBE CHIEF IS! Got a problem? Face me in combat without elemental traps and settle who is stronger!" He yelled.

"Yikes!"

She ran off at top speed while Cygnus Wing DS gulped.

"We won't become clowns! I promise you that! Buru~o~!"


	39. Chapter 39: The first ascension

**Chapter 39: The first ascension **

08:58 AM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 24th…

"… Ox Tackle!"

"Golden Fist!"

Ox Fire DS and Sidier were facing each other in the Temple of Death's arena: both of them were covered in bruises, burns and cuts: the other warriors were looking from the sidelines.

"Hey… Do you think he'll be able to win this time around, buku? I mean… This is his fourth attempt, buku…" Cancer Bubble DS asked Wolf Forest DS in a hushed tone.

"Well… I can't really say. Sidier, though… He fights in a noble manner. He never tried to exploit our Elemental weaknesses and fought with non – Elemental tactics. It took him two attempts to win over me, mind you, Cancer Bubble DS." He replied while shrugging.

"I guess I'm the only one who got beaten at his first attempt, buku… What a blow, buku." He muttered.

"Oi, oi… Be quiet." The black Gemini Spark DS told him.

"We fought him yesterday and he won at the third attempt." The purple commented.

"He was holding back on me, even! I guess he must think it would be rude to go all out on a woman. Boss had to talk with him and he won at the second attempt. Or maybe he was afraid of my perfume. Tee, heh, heh, heh!" Ophiucus Queen DS giggled.

"He is learning the limitations of his flesh. That's good to see!" Crown Thunder DS added.

"That's somewhat ironic coming from someone who doesn't even have "flesh" to begin with: but he won at the second attempt, too." Cygnus Wing DS calmly commented.

"Wha~t? Cygnus! You jerk!" Crown Thunder DS growled.

"Silence!" Libra Balance DS commanded.

They all turned quiet and looked at the still ongoing battle.

"Burning Punch!"

"Fumikomi Cross!"

While Ox Fire DS punched the ground and caused black fire columns to pop out, Sidier ran forward and made a cut on his opponent's right shoulder: Ox Fire DS spun around and positioned.

"Ox Tackle!"

"Drill Arm!"

Sidier took out the Drill Arm just as Ox Fire DS was about to ram into him with his horns: the attack caught the Tribe Chief off-guard and Sidier used the small opening to his advantage.

"Tank Cannon!"

The blast hit Ox Fire DS and he tried to keep it at bay with both hands, but he recoiled and it broke through his defense, hitting him fully and kicking him into the ground.

"Guoh!"

"Huh!"

Sidier collapsed into his knees while panting and looking tired.

"He collapsed…! Buku…!"

Ox Fire DS tried to stand up, but noticed a big wound on chest: it was slowly becoming to regenerate: he tried to stand up again, but fell back on the ground.

"Huff… Huff… Guess… This blast was strong… Heh, heh, heh…" He muttered.

The warriors suddenly started to clap, whistle and roar in admiration: Sidier looked around, seemingly confused.

"Sidier! You did it. You won over me." Ox Fire DS told him.

"I… have…?" Sidier looked surprised.

Ox Fire DS managed to stand up and walked to him: he extended his right hand and Sidier caught it to stand up.

"Warriors! Has he won by using fair and right methods?" Ox Fire DS questioned the crowd.

"YEAH!"

"Has he fought with honor?" Ox Fire DS questioned.

"YEAH!"

"Does he deserve being granted a title?" Ox Fire DS asked.

"YEAH!"

"Good! Then… Sidier! I, Ox Fire DS, Death Tribe Chief, grant you the "Deathless" title!" Ox Fire DS announced.

"I am honored. I have fought in a fair manner and I met failure. I did not let it stop my pathway. I learned from it and tried again and again. Thou are warriors with experience far above mine." Sidier announced while he saluted.

"Good! Then… There's nothing else we can teach you. Yet! This is the first milestone on your road. You must go to the Bog Temple next. The Bog Tribe shall push you further to make you experience hard and challenging battles."

"I shall part with thou warriors, but I do not have sadness nor grief. I will not look back and will look towards the future on my road."

"That's the way a warrior speaks. Excellent! However! Our door is always open: once you complete you trials, you can come here anytime. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I shall depart after I recover my strength: the path shall be long and hard."

"… Nine days, eh? That's a record."

"Yeah. It sure is."

"Tee, heh, heh."

The trio had met on the throne room to discuss the news.

"Ox Fire DS was very confident that he will fare good against the Bog Clan… But that remains to be seen. I would calculate about ten days to clear it." Saruba brought a hand to his chin.

"I was thinking along the same lines, truth to be told." Somari admitted while looking amused.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'll be waiting for him to get here: I'll be his first adversary... I wonder if he'll run for five attempts, even." Solo announced with obvious eagerness.

"There goes our hyperactive boy." Somari giggled.

"Oi, oi…" Solo protested.

"Eh… Why don't we keep on experimenting with the projected image system? And then we may be able to come out physically, even." Saruba suggested.

"Those experiments of yours with the "safe zones"… Are they to test our bodies' reactions to a foreign environment?"

"What else would they be?"

"Ask Miss Universe." Somari teased.

"I dunno who it is this year." Solo rolled his eyes.

"I should speak with Roll and Sakurai. I believe I could give them one or two lessons to handle those men out there."

"I'm working on a program to facilitate that… It's like reverse engineering the "Light Armor" and the "Dark Armor" Obihiro developed."

"So?" Both asked.

"There's a small price to pay: 10% of our power is taken off to maintain the protective field around us. We can fight normally and such, but we'll always be at 90%." Saruba explained.

"10%... Well. It could've been worse." Somari shrugged.

"I can handle Blues even at 90% without much trouble." Solo shrugged as well.

"But let me run some more simulations before we try it out. I'd like for Sidier to test it out after he makes it here: his body might have the key to polishing the program."

"Good. We'll be like the "Darkloids": we'll finally be able to exit the Cyber World and enter the real world… And that's because we _were_ real world beings." Somari announced.

"Yeah. Those guys out there will get nervous." Solo grinned.

"Oh! True, true… What are ya gonna do with Obihiro? Are you going to keep at it?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'll send Sidier to approach him one day. He will notice the implications of it and I'm sure he'll gladly do anything we command him to do."

"Maybe we could establish cooperation between both parties… And play around with those guys… It could be fun. Heh, heh, heh, heh!" Solo suggested.

"And to prove it you'll draw the blaster and shoot off a mosquito about to suck out Obihrio's blood in the blink of an eye." Somari teased while having a smug smile on her face.

"Oi, oi… Just because I'm named Solo, that doesn't mean I'm _Han Solo_ at all!" Solo rolled his eyes.

"Oh? Who knows? Tee, heh, heh…"

"Oh man."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh."

"… Alright, Sidier…"

Sidier was standing in the Death Temple's arena and saluting while he was facing Ox Fire DS and the warriors.

"… I shall depart. I shall not forget what I have learned in this Temple. I shall come back one day: such is my oath." He announced.

"Excellent! Take heed and walk on ahead: a long road and hard road awaits you, Sidier. Emperor S is content with your results. Don't let him down." Ox Fire DS told him.

"Yes, sir. I shall not. Farewell!"

"Farewell!"

Sidier turned upon his heels and kicked them in the military fashion before stepping out at a military-like pace: he didn't look back and he was soon outside of the Death Temple.

"There he goes… Buku…" Cancer Bubble DS muttered.

"A nice guy, really… I'll be waiting for his return." Wolf Forest DS commented.

"Ox Fire DS – sama: my honor has been insulted!" Crown Thunder DS announced.

"If you mean Cygnus Wing DS' joke about the flesh, then that's not an offense to your honor, Crown Thunder DS. I would've come up with it, too, since it's an obvious irony." Ox Fire DS shrugged as he turned around to face him.

"This bird-faced jerk…!" Crown Thunder DS grumbled.

"Do not disobey our Chief, deceased king." Cygnus Wing DS told him.

"Grah! Look at this jerk guy! He now believes he's in charge of just everything! Grjtfx! I'm going to remember this!" Crown Thunder DS grumbled with obvious annoyance.

"Oh. Be quiet already, you big boys..." Ophiucus Queen DS rolled her eyes.

"Shaddup!"Crown Thunder DS snapped.

"Wha~t? Now you've asked for it! I'll have my snakes poison you and then my Wood – Elemental attacks will beat cha!"

"Not again." Ox Fire DS growled.

"Buku…! I'm off!"

Cancer Bubble DS jumped into a ledge and ran inside of a corridor opening set there: Cygnus Wing DS sighed and flew upwards.

"Cancer! Don't use my room: use the empty room…" He called out with a sigh of resignation.

"Buku! Roger! Buku! I gotta come up with a barrier!"

"Yeah. Do that… Alright! Ophiucus, Crown! Stop meddling around."

"Yes, Chief…" They grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh. Yo~! Queen – sama~! Do ya need me to bring you somethin' cool and shaky?" Black Gemini Spark DS grinned.

"Yeah, Black. Purple!"

"Yes?" He didn't beat an eyebrow.

"Get ready." She grinned.

"Che." He now looked annoyed.

"Don't overdo it! Emperor S – sama won't be glad to know you're bullying the guys." Ox Fire DS fumed.

"He obviously won't." Wolf Forest DS rolled his eyes.

"The balance is in peril!" Libra Balance DS warned.

"You stay quiet too." Ox Fire DS snapped.

"Huh! Y-yes, sir! I'll retire to my quarters, sir…"

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. They don't call me "Queen" in vain. Let's have fun, _cute boys_… Today I need some fun… Ho, ho, ho, ho!"

"Anyway… Crown! If you're still upset about the joke… There's something called "humor". And it's welcomed. But battles amongst us out of bad mood are forbidden." Ox Fire DS scolded Crown Thunder DS.

"I knew that, Chief!" Crown Thunder DS growled.

"Don't make a fool of yourself, Crow Thunder DS." Black Gemini Spark DS folded his arms and closed his eyes.

"Why don't you go and start a thunderstorm at the lagoon?" Purple Gemini Spark DS suggested.

"You smug-faced twins…!" Crown Thunder DS growled.

"Chut! Silence! The balance is breaking up!" Libra Balance commanded.

"That's because you're named "Balance" to begin with!" Crown Thunder DS snapped at him.

"You people! Behave!" Ox Fire DS commanded while sounding like he was getting annoyed.

Silence fell into the arena while Ox Fire DS took a step forward and glared at Crown Thunder DS.

"Warrior! Retire to your chambers. You need to meditate and release this tension upon you." He commanded.

"Roger, Chief…" He grumbled.

He walked towards the quarters and the other eight warriors rolled their eyes or sighed in defeat.

"The balance has been restored." Libra Balance announced.

"Very funny! Buku!" Cancer Bubble DS told him from the corridor.

"I somehow find it hard to believe we've spent the last decade going over jokes." Wolf Forest DS commented.

"Ironies of life, I guess." Ox Fire DS shrugged.

"Yeah. Guess that." Ophiucus Queen DS muttered.

"… Hum."

Sidier walked across the desert plains and valleys: a concrete road crossed across them and headed towards the west and the sky was illuminated with the red glow of the energy beam projected from the Death Temple towards the Great Sky Temple.

"Red, black, purple… They create hypnotic combinations of colors which are ideal to reflect upon one's path and existence…" Sidier muttered aloud as he glanced at it.

He then lowered his gaze and spotted a sheer mountain range ahead of him and one cylinder-shaped structure was built which spanned its whole height.

"The Elevator heading to the Central Region… I shall continue west until I find the Bog Temple. The Bog Tribe is waiting for me." He announced aloud.

He continued his pace and reached the elevator platform which was waiting for him: he stepped into it and it climbed up: he looked ahead the whole time and the stepped out once it reached the top.

"It is fast."

He came out of the cave and into the Central Region: he could see the beam heading towards the hidden mole of the Great Sky Temple and another coming from further west.

"Over there." He announced.

He walked across the road and found a red "X" drawn on one small wide hill: he looked north and saw the fog surrounding the Great Sky Temple.

"Wondering what this spot is, Sidier?" A voice rang out.

Sidier gasped and spotted Harp Note DS sitting atop a nearby rock and having the guitar drawn: she had a smug smile on her face.

"Ah! Harp Note DS – dono. It has been many a day, yet thou figure remains the same." He announced while he made a reverence.

"Tee, heh, heh! I guess Saruba went a bit off when he programmed _Samurai_ behavior on ya…" She giggled.

"Is t-that so?" He asked with a hint of nervousness.

"Anyway… This spot is marked like that because, until recently, there was the main entrance to our world from the outside world. They had to start from here every time they needed to head off to a new Temple. Thus, they marked it as a reference point. We decided to leave it as it is." Harp Note DS explained while she played with her guitar's strings.

"I understand. I apologize for robbing thou of thou time just to explain a minimal detail to my person." He made another reverence.

"Could ya just say "thank you" instead of such a long speech?" Harp Note DS seemed now looked slightly annoyed.

"Ah… But… It would be rude to thou person."

"Jeez. Saruba. I'm so gonna make you revive your nightmare. This guy's speech is kilometric!" She muttered aloud.

"Eh… Am I allowed to…?"

"Just move yer butt!" Harp Note DS snapped with a hint of annoyance on her voice.

Sidier quickly ran off before he was going to be scolded and Harp Note DS stood up.

"This is it. I'm gonna pull his ears and have him sing "a – le – le" a hundred times in a row. He can be such a blockhead when he wants to!" She grumbled.

She jumped into the road and headed north at a quick pace while having a smug smile on her face.

"Tee, heh, heh."

_Pray to your flesh and hide your soul, Saruba… You're gonna experience your worst nightmare! This is what ya get for being so much of a blockhead! Tee, heh, heh, heh!_


	40. Chapter 40: Fidel's Handiworks

**Chapter 40: Fidel's Handiworks**

16:08 PM (Japan Time), Monday October the 25th…

"Heh, heh, heh."

Fidel Sneaky crept across some alleys and popped his head out: he spotted the Akihara Middle School building and grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh. Let the Ameroupe guys search Cuba from the top to the bottom. I'm far from there. And let's test our new gizmo." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

He pressed a button on a remote and he turned invisible thanks to an optical camouflage device.

_I'm a genius!_

He then spotted Yuriko walking up to the entrance and leaning her back on the right side of the wall: she studied the street and then looked at the roofs while seemingly checking there wasn't anyone or anything suspicious or out of place.

_A woman clad in black… She must wanna be like the Men In Black! Hmmm… Not bad. But I prefer more tint to the flesh. Anyway… She must be an escort to the brat, so I better keep my distance from her… _

The bell rang and the students began to come out: he soon spotted Netto, Meiru, Yaito and Hikawa going out in group and chatting.

_Oh? The brat broke his right arm? Heh, heh, heh. Then he's not much of a threat anymore. Why! I just got an idea. I could catch him and ask for ransom: I need some more funds. And I can always blame _Señor _Janus by claiming he ordered me to. I'm a - GENIUS!_

"Yo! Yuriko. Good afternoon." Netto greeted.

"Good afternoon. Should we get going?" Yuriko asked.

"Sure." Netto replied.

"Let's go."

"Shah, shah, shah, shah! Have ya heard, Rock Man? That Yamikawa guy has come up with a hologram to show up in the real world." Needle Man told him with a grin.

"So! He took my suggestion seriously." Rock Man lifted his eyebrows slightly.

"So it'd seem." Netto shrugged.

They began to walk away while chatting in an animated manner and Sneaky followed them in a discrete manner: they reached Netto's house and stopped there.

"Well then! See ya guys tomorrow." Netto announced.

"See you tomorrow."

Yuriko kept on escorting the other three while Netto entered his house and shut the door: Sneaky crept towards there and hid behind some bushes to monitor the insides through the kitchen's sliding door.

_Huh!_

He gasped when he spotted Rock Man standing there without his helmet and helping Netto sit down on the sofa.

_Damn! That's Rock Man! And he can come out in the real world! I guess I'll have to switch my plan slightly: I can pick that other brat who traveled with them. _

He chuckled under his breath and began to pull out when he stopped and hid in a corner: Dark Miyabi was crouching nearby and examining the ground in a detailed manner.

"Crushed grass, boot imprints… Someone was here today and _very_ recently ago: I checked the place this morning." He muttered with a hint of suspicion.

Sneaky climbed the wall and jumped over it while trying to land on the street in a silent manner: he ran off at top speed and didn't dare to look back until he was four streets away.

_Phew! That _ninja _guy almost found me out: I couldn't have guessed he checked the garden several times a day! They're taking security very seriously in 'ere, it'd seem!_

He then grinned and crept towards Hikawa's house: he jumped over the wall and spotted the window for the bedroom.

_Heh, heh, heh!_

He looked inside: there wasn't anyone, but Hikawa's backpack had been left on the bed, indicating that he was home.

_Good! He must be on the bathroom. I make my way inside and then knock him out… Oh! Wait! I need a getaway vehicle. _

"Camouflage Man: pick the first car you find in a 100 meters radius and notify me." He ordered in a hushed tone.

"Roger, Sgt. Sneaky." Camouflage Man acknowledged.

He picked a Wi – Fi signal and rode on it while using the CCTV cameras to check the surroundings: he found a white Nissan parked close by, so he snuck into its Cyber World and found a firewall.

"A firewall… But it's your everyday firewall. I know how to sneak past them." He muttered.

He walked over to it and pressed both hands on one panel: it changed from metallic gray to brown and disappeared.

"My "Panel Out" ability allows me to slightly change the terrain and remove objects. Heh, heh, heh." He muttered.

He sneaked inside and unlocked the car from the inside while shutting down the alarm via a holographic screen: he then exited the car and replaced the firewall panel before he returned to Sneaky's PET.

"Sgt. Sneaky. Mission: complete. The car is a white Nissan 40 meters from here." He reported.

"Good. I checked the surroundings: there's no suspicious guy or woman around." Sneaky grinned.

He stepped away and climbed into the car to ignite it.

"Anyone who looks will think that the owner's Navi is going to park it in a proper manner: that's how people behave around here." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

The car silently parked parallel to Hikawa's house and Sneaky came out of it and kept the engine on: he jumped over the wall and landed inside.

_Heh, heh, heh._

He looked at the bedroom: Hikawa was face-up on the bed and apparently taking a nap.

_Good. It'll save me the trouble of knocking him out. There's duct tape on the desk, so… I can use that to immobilize him._

He crept inside and picked the duct tape: he used a pair of scissors to cut the tape into segments and grinned.

_Heh, heh, heh! I'm a genius, _si señor_!_

He walked over to Hikawa and quickly placed one over his mouth and another over his eyes: Hikawa seemed to awaken, but Fidel turned him around and quickly immobilized his wrists and ankles.

_Slow! Heh, heh, heh!_

He picked him and placed him over his right shoulder as he ran off through the main door and tossed Hikawa into the car's trunk: he then climbed into the driver's seat and quickly sped away.

_Heh, heh, heh! I'm a GENIUS!_

The car quickly made it out of the district and headed towards the outskirts: Fidel spotted the closed down "Medusa's Hall" and parked the car on the rear.

_I heard this place has underground cells… Fitting!_

He cut the police seal tape and ran into the underground cells: he opened one and bluntly tossed Hikawa inside.

_Enjoy the nap!_

He closed the door and used its lock to close it.

_I gotta get rid of the car._

"Camouflage Man! Stay here and watch over the hostage. I need to dispose of the car and I know the place." He commanded.

"Roger!"

He ran off and picked the car: he drove for five minutes and reached the infamous plant with the car compactor machine where "Nebula" had tried to kill Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe time ago: Sneaky parked the car in the row and came out.

_Heh, heh, heh. This car will be scrap in half an hour. _

_Ugh… What happened…? Where… am I…?_

Hikawa slowly recovered consciousness and felt disoriented: he tried to move: his legs and arms could but his wrists and ankles were taped.

_I've been abducted! But this tape is easy to remove…._

He sat up and made a maneuver to move his arms forward: he removed the mouth tape with his fingernails and then bit his wrists' tape.

"Phew!"

He used his free hands to take off the one in the ankles and then the one covering his eyes.

"Phew! All that's left is getting out of this place…" He muttered.

He tried the door, but it was locked from the outside.

"Crap."

He then examined the surroundings: there was no lighting at all, so he had to crouch and use his hands: the walls and ground were made of concrete and there just a slight opening above the door to allow air: there was no furniture at all.

"Hmmm… Maybe if I hide behind the door when it opens I can use the chance to run off." He guessed.

He heard footsteps coming closer, so he gasped and positioned on an angle which would be hid by the door.

"… This basement has no CCTV cameras, then? The ones handling this must've had physical security…" Someone was commenting.

"So it'd seem, Sgt. Sneaky." Another voice replied.

_Sgt. Sneaky. That's the culprit. I gotta take note of it and tell Netto – kun about him: he might be one of the freelancers Silver Arrow hired. _

The door opened and Sneaky stepped in to stop on his tracks when he saw the tape on the ground: Hikawa used the chance to run off while Sneaky was checking the walls.

"Impossible!" He gasped.

"That can't be!" Camouflage Man uttered.

"… Huff… Huff… I did it…"

Hikawa stopped in front of Netto's house: a taxi was leaving and it was obvious Hikawa had used it to ride back here.

"Let's speak with Netto – kun!" He exclaimed.

He rang the door bell and Haruka opened.

"Oh! Tooru – kun. Welcome." Haruka greeted.

"Is Netto – kun at home?" He asked.

"He is. Come in." Haruka invited.

"I apologize for not warning: something has happened." Hikawa admitted.

"Don't mind it." Haruk smiled.

He stepped inside and headed towards Netto and Saito.

"Tooru – kun? You look nervous." Netto greeted.

"Has something happened?" Saito asked.

"I was abducted by a guy named Sgt. Sneaky!" Hikawa summarized.

"What!" Both gasped.

"Did you say Sgt. Sneaky?" A voice asked.

Hikawa spotted Miyabi coming out of the restroom while wiping his hands: he then realized that tea and snacks had been served on the table.

"Does Miyabi – san know about him? I suspect he was one of Silver Arrow's freelancers." Hikawa asked.

"Correct, Hikawa. So he got back here after fleeing Cuba, then… Where did he take you to?" Miyabi asked.

"It was a creepy building named "Medusa's Hall"…" Hikawa admitted.

"What!" They gasped.

"Huh? What?" Hikawa asked.

"That was where Meiru – chan was held at and tortured! I thought it'd been sealed up by the police!" Netto gasped.

"But I didn't see him coming into the house… I was taking a nap." Hikawa admitted.

"… Optical camouflage… That must be the reason those footprints were on the garden." Miyabi deduced.

"So he was spying on me but surely Saito – niisan's presence made him realize he had to pull out… He must've tried to play smart and abduct Tooru - kun while claiming Ivan and Sergei ordered him to." Netto guessed.

"I guess we'll need to place protection around Tooru – kun's house… Maybe we should speak it with Misaki – san?" Saito suggested.

"Hmmm… He must be low on funds. He must've wanted a ransom to be able to flee the country: travelling from Cuba to here ain't easy or cheap…" Miyabi brought a hand to his chin.

"But he must be about to run away at this rate… How are we supposed to locate him?" Hikawa asked.

Netto's Link PET beeped and Saito picked it.

"Mail… From "Godfather"… Godfather…? Eh… But that's a foreign concept, ain't it?" Saito frowned.

"The first thing which comes to mind with that name is the film _The Godfather_ by Coppola back on 1972… I saw it several years ago on a TV airing…" Miyabi frowned.

"The message reads the following: "Bird to fly to Hong Kong: he who does warn a traitor is not, or so Einstein's rip - off claims." … Why do I feel like I know who wrote this?" Saito read before muttering and looking slightly annoyed.

The Link PET rang and Saito picked the call: the screen was black.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh." A girl's voice rang out.

"Somari." Saito guessed.

"Yep. Did you like my prose?" Somari asked.

"I thought Saruba wrote it." Saito admitted.

"Nope. He's been punished." Somari giggled.

"Eh?" All frowned.

"I mean… He pulled a kilometric and pointless _Samurai_ – like speech on me and ended with my patience. I locked him on his room after having him sing "a – le – le" a hundred times in a row." Somari sounded very amused instead.

"Man. I still remember that silly song I was forced to memorize when I was 6 years old and in elementary 1st grade…! I hated it!" Netto rolled his eyes and sounded exasperated.

"Tee, heh, heh. Maybe Sakurai will think otherwise?" Somari teased with a giggle.

"Dunno. I don't wanna find out. But that had to be a torture." Netto replied.

"Of course: it's what he and Solo fear most. In fact, Solo has gone camping with the Fortress Tribe to stay as far away from me as possible. It feels funny sitting on the throne for one day, though." Somari announced.

"Oi. We never wanted to butt into your personal affairs." Saito annoyingly told her.

"Ah? But can't you see that there's much in common with our generation and your generation when it comes to music class?" Somari teased.

"Point is: Fidel is gonna go to Hong Kong tomorrow. We can have him arrested at the airport." Saito summarized.

"Ah. But have a look at Narita Airport's website: there are at least six different flights to Hong Kong along the day. Can you really check all of them? Tee, heh, heh, heh! I think you won't have it easy!" Somari asked with a hint of amusement.

"We can. And now play Empress." Saito shot back.

"Charmed. _Bye-bye_, _handsome_."

The line went dead and Saito deposited the Link PET back on its place before sitting down on the sofa.

"Really… I'd never guessed she was the "strict teacher" type." He muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"I guess I should call the Net Police and have them alert Narita International Airport…" Miyabi guessed.

He picked the tea cup and slowly drank it. He paused and had a sweet before finishing up the tea.

"Ah. Relaxing… I needed it. Well then… See you around."

"Goodbye."

"Take care, Miyabi – san!" Haruka told him.

"Eh… Thank you." Miyabi thanked.

He stepped out while Hikawa sat on the sofa: both spotted that he had slippers on.

"Yeah. I had them on me when I got caught… I hadn't gone home yet but I doubt Ice Man realized it: he's gone off to play with Aqua Man and Bubble Man on their "secret base"..." Hikawa admitted.

"You needn't worry: that guy will be escaping soon and he won't dare to come back anytime soon. He'll be caught sooner or later." Netto relieved him.

"Yeah. That's true. Anyway… I'll go and have some tea, if you don't mind, Netto – kun." Hikawa announced.

"Go ahead." Both invited.

Hikawa drank the tea while the twins sighed in relief: the situation could've been worse.

"… So! The freelancers are still out there and it'd seem one of them tried to play smart by attempting the abduction of one of Hikari's companion but the guy ran away and the man has had to flee."

"Correct, Shun – sama."

Obihiro was hearing to the news Hunter Man brought over.

"I found an interesting guy who could be useful as a secretary to organize things for me."

"Is that so? Congratulations, Shun – sama." Hunter Man bowed.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'm a genius!"

"Obviously, Shun – sama. What are my orders?"

"Take care of arranging for the week's delivery."

"Roger, sir."

"Good."

Obihiro began to type into the laptop and formed a smug grin as he worked on something.

"Bronze Sword is slowly taking shape. But I'm not sure of what methods I'll use or if I'll end up having an 'ultimate goal' or 'inaugural act'… There's much to be decided. Whatever…"

He shrugged and plugged an external HDD to the computer's USB ports to seemingly do a backup of something.

"I'll come up with something sooner or later. Maybe I'll get an input from somewhere, too. Heh, heh, heh… And one day I'm gonna prove my power to Hikari and Rock Man."

He stopped and frowned as if he's realized something.

"I dunno if Ivan and Sergei would want me to remove them from the picture… I guess not. They'd like to slowly torture and kill them off like they did with Forte and Freeze Man… My. That'd be lovely to see."

He then climbed off the sofa and walked into a nearby kitchen: he picked a jar of water and served some on a cup.

"Hum, hum, hum!"

He drank it and then sounded refreshed: he placed the jar back on its place and returned to working with the laptop.

"Everything… For Bronze Sword! For glory!" He exclaimed.

"Shun – sama. The orders have been completed."

"Excellent, Hunter Man."

"I will proceed to check up security and filter the mail."

"Yeah. I'm counting on ya, Hunter Man, my buddy." Obihiro grinned at him and looked amused.

"Roger, sir."

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"


	41. Chapter 41: Rematch time

**Chapter 41: Rematch time**

15:45 PM (Japan Time), Thursday October the 28th…

"… Something is approaching the Level 1 Firewall from the outside! Enzan – kun! Repel it!"

"Roger, Meijin! Plug In! Blues, Transmission!"

Blues entered the Science Labs' outer Cyber World and soon spotted the intruder: Desert Man.

"You lowlife! Desert Man!"

"Che! Blues!" He scoffed.

"Sunayama…!" Enzan hissed.

"Damn. Ijuuin! Where's Rock Man?" Sunayama questioned.

"What… You wanna have revenge?"

"Nope! There's a good bounty if I hand him to a woman named Nemenaya in one piece!"

"Damn."

"Heh, heh, heh. I can guess why she'd bother to put a bounty on him: she can't do it herself. But we can!" Sunayama exclaimed.

"And you're gonna tell me both Saiko and Narcy are into it, too, am I right?"

"Obviously! I dunno what became of Inukai, but I doubt him being so "considerate". Heh, heh, heh." Sunayama shrugged.

"You lowlife won't find Rock Man here. But I won't let you lowlife leave, either. I'll defeat you lowlife."

"Hah! Desert Man! Go for it!" Sunayama grinned.

"Uo~h… Sand Stage!"

"What!" Blues gasped.

The whole area turned into a desert-like environment and Desert Man dived into the sand.

"Lion Head!"

The Lion Head shot out and Blues barely dodged by jumping into the air: it suddenly turned and came at him from behind.

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!"

"Sonic Boom!"

The Sonic Boom cut the Lion Head in twice.

"Heavy Sand!"

Four heavy-looking blacks materialized and fell down towards Blues: he quickly landed and ran across the area to dodge them.

"Gotcha!" Sunayama grinned.

"Ant Lions!"

Blues stepped into one of the quicksand holes and struggled to get out: Desert Man suddenly appeared and gripped him with the right hand to then begin to crush him.

"Where's Rock Man?" He questioned.

"I won't tell you lowlife!" Blues hissed.

"Then I'll delete ya!"

"Cross Laser!"

"GUOH!"

The blast hit him from behind and cleaved through his body: he had to let go and Blues landed on the ground.

"Laser Man!" He gasped.

"Mr. Meijin told me you had some trouble, Enzan – kun."

"Thank you very much, Dr. Regal. Blues!"

"Roger!"

"Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball! Slot In!"

Both Blues and Laser Man jumped into the air as Blues threw the Ice Cannon Ball at Desert Man while he was still trying to regenerate his wound: it impacted into him and trapped him inside of an ice mass which shone.

"Ah! Desert Man!" Sunayama gasped.

"Star Breaker Laser!"

The incandescent meteors rained down and hit Desert Man, breaking the ice and delivering heavy damage to him.

"Damn! Plug Out!"

Desert Man escaped and the sand began to disappear: both Navis sighed in relief.

"What was that talk about a bounty on Rock Man which was given if he was handed alive to a certain person?" Dr. Regal asked.

"… It's about a sadist… They must want to torture Rock Man and humiliate him." Enzan admitted.

"My God!" Dr. Regal gasped.

"Nemenaya is back at it…" Meijin grumbled.

"We should try to locate her…" Blues suggested.

"Couldn't we try to approach the one who made the offer? We're rather unknown and we legally are private researchers and not members of the Net Police. We could set a trap up."

"That's not a bad idea. Let's talk it with Commissioner Kifune." Enzan agreed with it.

_No sadist is going to harm Netto!_

_Stick out your neck, you villain!_

15:29 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Wind Cutter!"

"Scope Gun!"

Search Man was facing off against Video Man.

"Damn. We'd come to report to the Net Police and he breaks into the Net Police HQ." Laika cursed.

"So? Where's Rock Man?" Narcy asked.

"Need Not To Know!"

"Heh! I'm sure he'll show his hide around soon enough." Video Man grinned.

"I wonder about that." Search Man coolly shot back.

"Resistance is futile! Playback! Playback! Playback!"

Several Search Man copies appeared and surrounded the original: he did not lose his composure.

"Battle Chip, Prism! Slot In!"

Search Man tossed it into the air and then aimed his Scope Gun at it from below.

"Scope Gun!"

The multiple beams impacted and each copy and one hit Video Mans' chest, shattering the controls and making some data leak out: he gasped and clutched that wound with both hands.

"Give it up, Narcy Hide!" Laika told him.

"Nya~h! I'll remember this! Video Man! Plug Out!"

"_Video Man, I'll be back_! Eject!" Video Man announced.

Search Man lowered his gun and sighed in relief.

_No creep is going to harm my companion._

16:26 PM (Japan Time)…

"… This guy again…!"

"Che! Roll Arrow!"

"Neon Light!"

Roll was facing off against Flash Man: she shot the Roll Arrow at the same time she dodged the Neon Light and the Roll Arrow bounced off Flash Man's body.

"Hmpf. Is that all?" He was unimpressed.

"So! Where is Rock Man at?" Saiko questioned.

"What a jerk! I go train at the Game Center and this creep shows up. Why couldn't you people just stay in prison?"

"Hmpf. Because Twilight – sama saw potential on us: that's why. Heh, heh, heh, heh…" Saiko chuckled.

"Yeah. This woman is weak. Saiko! We can use her as bait to draw Rock Man into a trap."

"I'm not "weak" anymore! Meiru - chan!" Roll called out while looking rather annoyed.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

Roll shot the blast at Flash Man: he didn't bother to dodge and let it hit him fully thus causing an explosion and a cloud of smoke.

"That didn't do it." Meiru guessed.

"Heh, heh, heh… Behold… My Special Ability! Hypnosis Flash!"

"Che!"

Roll quickly closed her eyes and blocked them with her right forearm so as to not to get hypnotized.

"Hell's Buster!"

"Grah!"

She opened her eyes and gasped: Forte was clashing with Flash Man while trying to hit him with the Dark Arm Blade while Flash Man blocked it off with his daggers.

"You lowlife…!" Flash Man cursed.

"That's my motto." Forte replied.

"Ah! Forte!" Roll greeted.

"Sorry for the delay. I suspected this could happen. I'm not gonna let such a creep lay your hands on you or Rock Man."

"Give him a beating!" Meiru rallied.

"My pleasure! You! You're rotten." Forte taunted.

"You lowlife!" Flash Man hissed.

"Damn. This guy again…! We can't win against such odds! Flash Man! We gotta pull out!" Saiko cursed.

"Che. I'll remember this!" Flash Man proclaimed.

He escaped while both Forte and Roll sighed on relief.

"Phew! We managed to drive him out. But I'm worried about Nemenaya drawing attention to her hide in such an open manner… She must be trying to divert our attention towards Netto and Saito while she plots something else…"

"Che. The world would be better off if such people weren't around to mess with us." Meiru grumbled.

"I'll try to find where the "bounty notice" is posted. We can replace it with Nemenaya's own and people will go look for her instead."

16:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So?"

"I apologize, Mies – sama. There has been no progress even though three volunteers showed up."

"Damn."

Nemenaya was standing on a catwalk built inside of a large warehouse filled with crates and piled boxes: the warehouse was largely unlit: the only light came from her Link PET's own glow.

"Shit."

Salome was projecting out of it and bowing as she reported the bad news to her.

"What should we do?" Salome asked.

"Che. I guess we'll have to wait for another while. There must be a reason why they hid the individual all of a sudden…" Nemenaya grumbled as she glanced around her.

"Maybe I could investigate?" Salome offered.

"No. There's a bounty on our hides. Let's approach a spy and have him do the work. We can always change hideouts."

"Roger."

"… What? A bounty on us, you say?"

"Yeah. There's no doubt about it."

Blues had come to visit Saito at his house computer during the afternoon and projected via Saito's own Link PET.

"Nemenaya posted it: the lowlife is desperate to try to get its dirty claws on you two." Blues explained.

"Crap." Saito cursed.

"Shit." Netto cursed.

"Yeah. Video Man, Flash Man and Desert Man all showed up in a row to look for you but we drove them back. Forte had to help Roll."

"Why?"

"Flash Man was trying to user her as bait to draw you two out and into a trap." Blues explained.

"Damn. We'll have to walk with iron feet." Saito cursed.

"Yeah. With armored feet, I'd say."

They turned around to see Solo's own projected image: he looked somewhat amused.

"Solo. I guess Somari ended her bad mood?" Saito guessed.

"No! I'm projecting from the Fortress Temple. I tried contacting Saruba, but he warned me to stay away for another few days. When Somari – chan gets one of her moods, it takes time to shake it off." Solo admitted while rolling his eyes.

"So? Are you gonna contribute with something like Somari or just show up to say "gotcha" at us?" Saito questioned.

"Heh, heh, heh. Good, good… I replaced the bounty on you guys with Nemenaya's own bounty. So I guess no one but those three will bother to show up." Solo replied.

"Hum. That's something." Blues folded his arms.

"I guess your little affair keeps on progressing. Am I right?" Solo teased with a grin.

"You spied us during it?" Saito annoyingly questioned.

"No. It wasn't hard to deduce. Blues blew it up with that attitude around Riva."

"See, _Buruusu_! I told you." Saito told him with a hint of annoyance and pointing out he was right.

"Crap." Blues muttered.

16:57 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oi! Solo! Comin' for another round?"

"Sure thing."

Solo had finished his transmission while sitting on the edge of one of the Fortress' multiple balconies and waving his legs: Acid Ace DS walked out from inside and called out.

"Heh, heh!"

Solo quickly flipped to stand on the balcony and snapped his right hand's fingers: he transformed into Burai DS and grinned.

"So… We can expect the newbie to drop by soon?" Acid Ace DS asked him while they headed back inside.

"Yeah. I'd say another six days." Burai DS confirmed.

"Hah! That'll be worth it." Grave Joker DS caught up to them as he climbed up from the second floor.

"Yeah. Have a bit of patience with him: he might take more than one attempt for each battle." Burai DS told them.

The group crossed the gateway and reached the main arena of the Fortress Temple: they stepped into the platform which then lowered into the ground level and freed the arena from obstacles.

"Okay! Let's go!" Burai DS challenged.

"Time for action!" Acid Ace DS cocked his gun.

"Taste true power!" Grave Joker DS brandished his punches.

"Here I go~!"

"Heh. What hyperactive guys." Jack Corvus DS looked on from above.

"YO, YO, YO! Yeah! They're cool!" Moon Disaster DS grinned.

"Too cool even… Heh, heh, heh. Let's see how it evolves!" Spade Magnets DS added with a grin.

17:14 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Man. I'll have read up my whole library at this rate… When will Somari – chan let me out?"

Saruba was laying face-up on the bed and looked depressed, for once, as he placed both hands beneath his skull: he then pulled the covers over him and then tried to fall asleep.

_This ain't life, man… Even I can get scolded by my friend and locked up on my room!_

"… Tee, heh, heh. Saruba must be getting fed up by now. I guess he'll have learned his lesson."

Harp Note DS was sitting on the throne and writing things on a notebook while giggling.

"If you weren't such a blockhead, Saruba, this wouldn't have happened, ya know? But no… You had to program that kilometric speech on Sidier which is unbearable and those exaggerated mannerisms. He doesn't act like a _samurai_: he acts like a servant speaking to his master!" She muttered with a hint of annoyance.

She flipped the page and quickly drew a caricature of Saruba looking at a drawing of a Japanese feudal court with servants kneeling in front of the Emperor and a lightened light bulb over his head.

"Tee, heh, heh. And Solo got allergy to me so he'll be staying over at the Fortress to kill the time. At least the guys at the Bog Temple are far straighter – headed than Sidier. I would've programmed him to have a more "free" personality: he looks like a run of the mill preprogrammed Net Navi, even! Saruba… Know something: had we married, we'd already divorced! Tee, heh, heh. Guess that's why you never tried nor bothered about it." She muttered with both amusement and annoyance on her voice.

She made a smug smile and drew a caricature of Sidier tripping over a stone and wrote a speech bubble filled with some text: her grin grew as she wrote it down.

"…Heh, heh, heh… "I offer my apologies to the Honorable Stone for damaging it without seeing. It shall not happen again, my lord. I am really steeping down! This cannot be!"… Tee, heh, heh!"

"… Achoo!"

Sidier blew his nose while sitting inside of his quarters and looked slightly surprised.

"Am I not making a good enough job?" He wondered aloud.

"Apollon! You stole my roller!" Auriga General DS could be heard yelling close by.

"I didn't, Auriga." Apollon Flame DS replied.

"Says the jerk!"

"Want to fight or what?"

"Wait a min! The runt! Where's the runt?"

"Sidier?"

"I did not do that." Sidier frowned.

"No! Not Sidier! Goat!" Auriga General DS corrected.

"Goat Kung Fu DS? Good question. Hey. Empty. Have you seen Goat Kung Fu DS around here?"

"Not really… Why?" Empty DS admitted.

"The runt stole my roll!"

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! You suck at playing Holmes! It was the great me: Yeti Blizzard DS – sama~! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"What! Yeti! You gorilla!"

"Bring it on, twerp!"

"Oh boy…" The other two sighed.

_This is going crazy, is it not? Misfortune must be chasing me!_


	42. Chapter 42: The second ascension

**Chapter 42: The second ascension**

07:57 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday November the 3rd….

"… Phantom Claw!"

"Super Vulcan!"

Sidier was facing Phantom Black DS inside of the Bog Temple's main round arena: both were standing on two of the three pieces of the circular platform and the pool had been filled with water.

"… Sidier is running for his third attempt against Phantom Black DS – sama…" Goat Kung Fu DS commented.

"Yeah. He's a good fella: he accepts defeat with nobleness and then tries it over and over again until he succeeds." Yeti Blizzard DS commented.

"I sure gave the guy a hard time!" Brachio Wave DS commented while swimming on the water below one balcony.

"I'd say he almost fainted upon seeing my mole." General Auriga DS smiled.

"Oi! I am far more imposing, General Auriga DS!" Condor Geograph DS exclaimed.

"You two… Don't start it again." Empty DS sighed in defeat and folded his arms.

"Really… They're always competing on that. I don't see the point on it, truth to be told." Apollon Flame DS rolled his eyes.

"There isn't, Apollon Flame DS: that's the problem." Empty DS grumbled with some annoyance on his voice.

"Oi! Ya two. Quit the parrot talk: they're getting serious!" Brachio Wave DS called out.

Both of them seemed to be getting annoyed given their hostile looks directed at Brachio Wave DS: he didn't spot them because he was focused on the battle.

"… Phantom Slash!"

"Tornado!"

The two tornadoes clashed and merged into a large one which spanned the whole space between the platforms: all warriors gasped in surprise upon seeing it.

"Whoa! This time around Sidier plans to confront Chief inside of his own Phantom Slash!" Goat Kung Fu DS gasped.

"Incredible!" Yeti Blizzard DS exclaimed.

"Chut! Cut down the parrot talk, Goat and Yeti!" Brachio Wave DS grumbled.

"Shut the trap up as well, you Loch Ness monster wannabe!" Four of them snapped at him.

"… Stick Sword!"

"Neo Variable Sword!"

Sidier's Neo Variable Sword blocked Phantom Black DS' cane as he tried to hit him on the chest: they kept on spinning inside of the large tornado's body which was sucking water up and splashing the surroundings.

"Mega Cannon!"

"Phantom Claw!"

Sidier's Mega Cannon, fired at close range, hit Phantom Black DS hard: the two tornadoes stopped and both opponents landed on separate platforms: they were panting heavily.

"Whoa! They still can keep at it…!" Auriga General DS gasped.

"They're really decided to go to all ends!" Condor Geograph DS gasped as well.

"… Paladin Sword!"

"Stick Sword!"

Sidier's Paladin Sword blocked Phantom Black DS' cane.

"… Phantom Slash!"

"Flame Tower!"

The attack had the desired effect: when Phantom Black DS began to spin around the fire merged with the tornado and set the Tribe Chief ablaze.

"Mugro~h!"

"Whoa!"

Phantom Black DS roared in pain and fell into a platform: he dropped into his fours and was barely able to remain even in that position.

"Huff, huff…"

Sidier landed on another platform, and dropped into his knees, panting heavily: he, too, looked like he couldn't keep on.

"… If I know our Chief, he can still go for one last shot. They'll be settling it on one shot!" Empty DS muttered.

Phantom Black DS managed to stand up in an erratic manner and panted while smiling: Sidier looked up and made a grimace.

"Phantom Claw!"

_Last chance!_

"… Silver Fist!"

The powerful hit sent the claw back at its owner and the attack propelled the Tribe Chief backwards: he hit one of the round room's walls and got stuck there.

"Oof! I feel like I've broken all of my bones… I can't keep on at this rate, obviously enough…" He muttered.

He managed to break free and jumped into his platform while looking exhausted: he then looked at the warriors.

"The victory goes for Sidier. Do you agree with it, warriors?"

"YEAH!"

"Sidier! Stand up!" Phantom Black DS commanded as he turned to look at him while smiling.

Sidier complied and managed to stand up and saluted while Phantom Black DS jumped into his platform.

"Battling inside of the tornado and also setting it on fire… Your strategy was impressive on his attempt! My advice came in handy, didn't it, Sidier?" Phantom Black DS told him.

"Yes, sir. It did."

"Then… You will be granted the title of "Fearless"! You don't fear the result of your actions: you will use all which you have on your flesh and your power to battle your opponents! Do you understand what it means, Sidier?" Phantom Black DS announced.

"Yes, sir. I am honored."

"Good! Then you can proceed to the 3rd Temple: the Fortress Temple! Go back to the Central Region and then head north from the intersection you passed by. You will meet a hard challenge there!" Phantom Black DS commanded.

"Yes, sir! I shall return one day. Such is the oath I carry into my person and which I also made to the Death Tribe." Sidier saluted.

"Warriors! Do you recognize the honors granted to this one? Answer me, warriors!"

"YEAH!"

"Excellent! Sidier! Rest for an hour and then go: the path will guide you to your challenge which will finally test your whole person and, if you clear it, you will be granted entrance to the Great Sky Temple! Always look on ahead and don't falter!"

"Yes, sir! I shall go." Sidier confirmed.

"Go!"

He jumped into one of the balconies and a doorway opened: he stepped inside and walked down the corridor before entering his room and climbing into the bed.

_The Fortress Temple…_

"… So? Will you change his program?"

"I will! I learned my lesson!"

"Tee, heh, heh. Take into account that I was in a good mood, thus I let ya out on Sunday. I could've waited 'till now."

"Man."

Saruba was sitting on his throne after Somari had finally let him come out of his room and he looked nervous while Somari had a smug smile on her face.

"…'Morning…" Solo walked in while yawning.

"It'd seem the excursion back here was hard for ya, eh, Solo?" Somari teased.

"Gimme a break… The elevator broke down and I had to repair it so that Sidier can use it to go there!" Solo groaned.

"Oh? What a coincidence!" Somari lifted her eyebrows while sounding slightly surprised.

"No way… Ya broke it on purpose to have me sweat and play the mechanic?" Solo groaned again.

"Tee, heh, heh. I wanted to test your intelligence."

"Man." Both he and Saruba complained.

"Well! Sidier cleared my Temple. He's now heading over yours, Solo. I guess your companions must be excited." She switched topics.

"Yeah. I wouldn't bet less than ten days… Maybe eleven. Give or take, anyway… It doesn't matter that much." Solo grinned and brought a hand to his chin.

"So! Once he finishes all tests, you will alter his program to grant him some more "thought freedom"?" Somari asked Saruba.

"I will!" He quickly replied.

"Then, Sidier… This is farewell."

"Yes, sir. But I shall return one day."

Sidier was standing inside of the Temple's main room: there was a holographic screen displaying the other warriors who were in the floor above and looking at him floating behind and above Phantom Black DS' head.

"Then… Go! Carve you road and future!" Phantom Black DS commanded while signaling the doorway with his cane.

"Roger!"

Sidier saluted, turned around, and calmly walked out without looking back at the temple building: he merely looked at the red energy beam heading east and the road he'd have to trek through the bog.

"This road shall be long. But I will get to the Fortress Temple and will soon begin my new challenge. It would seem I will have to improve my speech habits, however. Harp Note DS – dono did not seem to think they were appropriate enough." He muttered aloud.

He crossed the tunnel across one of the trees, the rusted suspension bridge over the lagoon, and reached the entrance: he spotted the elevator structure and stepped there.

"Destination: Central Regions." He announced aloud.

The elevator climbed and he calmly let the rain fall around the area soak him while he closed his eyes and meditated: the elevator soon stopped and he stepped out of it and into the tunnel to then exit into the junction where he spotted the tunnel leading north.

"Over there. Let the Sacred Light illuminate the Warrior's Road and guide me on forward." He muttered.

He walked across it and stepped into the recently repaired elevator which made him descend: he crossed the gate and stopped at the start of the bridge leading to the behemoth building.

"The Fortress… I have arrived. I must make the long and arduous climb until I reach the Fortress Temple at its very top." He muttered.

He cross the bridge while trying to ignore the powerful wind gusts which swept the area and made the wind generators spin and generate electricity: many lights and patterns of the building lighted up and made it glow in the midst of the blackness.

"… Impressive." He calmly muttered.

He stepped inside of it and looked at the central shaft: some spheres colored in different colors and having labels attached to them were floating inside of it: he calmly looked at them.

"Hum. Particle physics… But now it is not the time for those. I must head upwards." He muttered with a hint of intrigue.

He followed the signaled path and he soon found the archway leading to the Fortress Temple.

"Let us have a look."

He firstly looked out from the observation room at the reddish beam of light heading straight south before turning around and crossing the gateway.

"Let us enter."

He stepped into the elevator and climbed down into the arena: he was greeted by both Acid Ace DS and Grave Joker DS.

"Welcome! Sider. We've been waiting for you... They told us you were on your way here." Acid Ace DS greeted.

"This will be a very important challenge for you: are you ready?" Grave Joker DS questioned.

"Yes, sires. Please grant me a command." He saluted.

"Good! Go and rest from the trip. We'll start in one hour." Acid Ace DS ordered.

"Ease flesh and soul before heading to battle!" Grave Joker DS added.

"Roger!"

Sidier climbed the west wall via a rung ladder and found his room at the end of the corridor: he stepped inside and sat on the ground to think.

_This place will decide my future: I will fight while looking forward and not holding anything back!_

"… He's arrived at the Fortress Temple sans a hitch."

"Tee, heh, heh."

"Were you expecting him to face trouble along the way or what, Somari - chan?"

Solo had reported the news: Somari giggled while Saruba frowned and looked suspicious.

"Oh? Who knows?" She teased.

"We do." Both replied.

"My. Did Trill drop by?" She joked.

"Trill…? The "Synchronizer"…?" Saruba frowned.

"Why should the guy?"

"Jeez. You two… You can be pretty dense when you want to: did you know that? Really…" She rolled her eyes.

Both men looked at each other and seemed to be puzzled.

"Jeez. To "synchronize" means to do more than one thing with the same timing! Because ya two answered the same thing at the same moment, I thought that Trill A.K.A. The "Synchronizer" had synched ya two to speak at the same time!" She explained with a hint of annoyance.

Both gulped and began to sweat.

"A-ah! We g-get it!" Both gasped.

"Tee, heh, heh. I could be a good intermediary, even! Intermediary Kagehi Somari: ideal to handle dense people!" She announced while giggling aloud.

Both men scratched the back of their heads: Somari frowned and quickly took out her notebook: she drew something on it and giggled.

"I'm off. Here! Reflect upon it." She told them.

She tossed the sheet at the ground and then ran off while giggling loud enough for both of them to hear.

"Huh…"

Saruba climbed down from the throne and picked the paper sheet while Solo looked over his right shoulder.

"What?"

The sheet had a caricature-like drawing on it: it showed both of them kneeling and bowing in front of the throne and Somari sitting on while having a small thin plastic rod on her hands: there were some speech bubbles inserted there too.

"… Huh… "Somari – sama! Please forgive our denseness! But we beg of you: please don't make us sing "a – le – le" a thousand times!"…"

"… "Nope! You two need to learn! So drag your feet to your rooms and I want to hear you singing "a – le – le" a hundred times per day! Go!"… Oh man."

"… This is… A nightmare." Saruba grimly muttered.

"Yeah… We'd really be better off trying to look sharper…" Solo muttered with a hint of fear.

"And we can be glad she's never been a sadist or she'd been hooked into the S&M stuff… That'd be like the _Naraku_ itself."

"Uh-huh… We can really be glad of it."

Saruba sighed and walked out to leave the sheet on the slit under Somari's room door and then headed back to sit on the throne and place his right hand in front of his face.

"… Maybe I'd need to go spend some days at the Death Temple. It'd do me good… Do as you like." He muttered before addressing Solo.

"Yeah… Good luck…" Solo replied.

Saruba headed out while Solo sat down on the throne and brought up a holographic screen to look at something: his mood quickly brightened and he looked relieved and amused.

_Heh, heh, heh. It'd seem the freelancers are gonna go back for it. It'll be fun seeing! Let the _Sengoku_ begin_!

"Atomize an atomizer!"

"Somari – chan is teasing me?" He groaned.

"Solo a Han Solo!"

"What the heck does that mean…? I prefer using a Navi to get into Higureya and kid around like we did before "Golden Star" vanished off the radar…" Solo groaned.

"Struggle and strangle a butterfly!" She announced.

"How do ya strangle a butterfly…?" He looked skeptical.

"Fly with a flying spell! Or else use a Nimbus 2000!"

"Not _Harry Potter_ again… I know the last book is on the writing and maybe it'll be ready by next year but… And that the _Order of the Phoenix_ film comes out next year too… But… Jeez." He grumbled.

"Sirius Black will bite your leg while on his dog shape!"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure." He was skeptical.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"Oh come on. I'm fed up with this…!"


	43. Chapter 43: Return of the Freelancers

**Chapter 43: Return of the Freelancers**

09:39 AM (Japan Time), Saturday November the 5th…

"… Bwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Flame Tower!"

"Damn this punk!"

"Damn this Red Beard wannabe!"

"I'M GONNA BEAT YA UP!"

Hinoken and Fire Man were battling Dan Smokin' and Roast Man inside of the Maha Ichiban's Cyber World.

"Go for it, Hino!" Meijin rallied.

"Yeah! Battle Chip, Long Sword! Slot In!" Hinoken confirmed.

"Long Sword!"

"Hah! Battle Chip, Long Blade! Slot In!"

"Long Blade!"

Both Navis began to clash swords and struggled on the deadlock but none of them seemed to have the upper ground: they broke apart and tried it again but there was no noticeable difference.

"Damn."

"Shit."

"Go, Master Hinoken!" Dekao rallied.

"Hah! There goes your outdated pirate fan, Red Beard!" Smokin' laughed at it.

"Wha~t?" Hinoken growled.

"_What_! _By George_! _You_ _idiot_!" Count Elec snapped at him.

"Ugly." Madoi told him.

"Criminal." Maha calmly announced.

"What the… That's your Pirate Club, Red Beard?" Smokin' taunted.

"Pirate Club my beard! Go! Fire Man! Draw out Heat Man's soul and incinerate 'em!" Hinoken shot back.

"Roger, Hinoken – sama! Fire Arm!"

"Flamethrowers!"

The two attacks clashed but Fire Man's one began to grow stronger and it pushed Roast Man's attack back at him, hitting him and leaving a large burnt mark on him.

"Impossible! This armored villain wannabe can't overpower my destructive flames!" Roast Man cursed.

"Damn! That Red Beard…!" Smokin' cursed.

"I'm not "Red Beard": I'm Hinoken! Remember it!"

"Whatever!" He grumbled.

"Che!" Roast Man cursed.

"Fire Man! Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

"Roast Man! Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Cannon, Hi Cannon, Mega Cannon! Slot In!"

"Zeta Cannon!"

"Go!"

"Shoot!"

Both Program Advances shot and met their targets while causing explosions and clouds of smoke.

"Did that do it?"

The smoke cleared and Fire Man could be seen standing with only some minimal wounds while Roast Man had a large wound on his chest area and was clutching it while panting.

"Damn… Dan!" He called out.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 200! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball! Slot In!"

"Take this!"

"Huh! Roast Bombs!"

Roast Man threw three of his bombs and one intercepted the Ice Cannon Ball in mid air while causing a cloud of steam to form around the area and blind them.

"Heh! Let's go for the trump card! Dark Chip, Slot In!" Smokin' grinned.

There was a buzz and nothing happened.

"What the…! Why does this "ERROR" thing show up onscreen?" He cursed aloud.

"The new-gen "Vaccine Chips" act like real vaccines: once a Navi has been given it, you can't use a "Dark Chip" on it twice! The PET will reject them no matter what you do." Meijin explained with a smile.

"No way!" Smokin' cursed.

"Don't screw me!" Roast Man yelled.

"Battle Chip, Fumikomi Cross! Slot In!"

"Hra~h!"

Fire Man warped forward and hit Roast Man with the Fumikomi Cross, thus kicking him into the ground.

"Take that!" Hinoken exclaimed.

"Damn it all!" Smokin' hissed.

"Why, you…!" Roast Man cursed.

"Battle Chip, Fire Sword! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Fire Sword! Slot In!"

Both clashed again and struggled in the deadlock.

"Fire Arm!"

"Flamethrower!"

Both tried to shoot fire to each other, but they clashed in the middle and began to recoil because of the strength they were applying.

"Burn, Fire Man!"

"Incinerate, Roast Man!"

Fire Man's attack began to grow stronger and he pushed Roast Man back until both attacks landed on him and delivered damage to him.

"Damn!"

Suddenly, though, a cage formed around him as several Police Navis led by Prism Man showed up onsite.

"What!" He cursed.

"Net Police…!" Smokin' cursed.

"Correct!" A voice rang out behind him.

SLAM!

There was the sound of several persons rushing in.

"Dan Smokin'! You're under arrest for ten arson incidents and including the attack on the IPC Head Office!" Misaki exclaimed.

"No way! How did ya find me?" Smokin' cursed.

"Oi! Meijin! Explain!" Hinoken requested.

"Oh. I forgot! The second effect of the new – gen "Vaccine Chip"… Those who use a "Dark Chip" have their MAC Address registered and the ISP it uses… In short: the Net Police know it ASAP where the Operator who tried to use a "Dark Chip" twice is at." Meijin explained.

"No way!"

"Behave yourself! Take him away." Misaki commanded.

"I'm so gonna burn this whole place up one day!" Roast Man cursed.

"Hah! Ya aren't a rival for Hinoken – sama!" Hinoken exclaimed.

"I'll remember this, Red Beard!" Smokin' cursed.

The Police Navis, Prism Man and the caged Roast Man logged out while Fire Man and the others laughed.

"Good job, Hino!" Meijin told him.

"Hah! That was a true hot battle!" Hinoken grinned.

"… Crap. 120 enemies…!"

"Why, you…!"

"Tee, heh, heh."

"_Impetum, legites_!"

Roll was surrounded by four Roman Legions brought upon by Stratega: she was standing in a platform labeled "LINE CONSOLE 0" and looking down (literally) on Roll, who was standing inside of a circular area.

"This one goes and shows up on our house's Switch device to challenge us and brings 120 enemies with her!" Meiru cursed.

"Yeah! I'll prove that I'm smarter than this tomboy!" Pueblera giggled.

"Meiru – chan!"

"Battle Chip, Count Bomb! Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Count Bomb!"

She placed the bomb on the middle and the jumped into the air: the explosion took out a big deal of the enemies and only a few of them survived.

"30… Well! Better than 120… Heart Slash!"

She attacked them and quickly deleted them before she looked up: Stratega wasn't there.

"Huh? Where did that girl flee to?" She wondered.

"Roll! Behind!" Meiru called out.

Roll gasped and dodged as Stratega tried to plunge her spear through Roll from behind.

"You…!" Roll cursed.

"All's fair in war!" She announced.

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable Sword! Slot In!"

Roll drew the Neo Variable Sword and clashed against Stratega's spear: both of them struggled and didn't seem to have a higher ground.

"Che. Dark Chip, Slot In!" Pueblera announced.

"Crap." Roll cursed.

Stratega was powered up and she quickly changed her spear's position to break the sword by hitting the segment near the hilt: Roll quickly jumped into the air, but Stratega chased her.

"You'll go straight to the Cemetery!" She announced.

"I wonder about that! Vaccine Chip, Slot In!"

"Vaccine Chip!"

Roll shot the "Vaccine Chip" at Stratega and it hit her chest emblem: it emitted rainbow-colored light and she fell into her knees while clutching her head.

"W-what the…! Kya~h!"

A soothing blue light traveled down her body and she hissed something under her breath before standing up and panting.

"Che! Once again!" Pueblera cursed.

There was a buzz and nothing happened.

"Damn. It doesn't work. Stratega! Go all out!" She commanded.

"Roger, Victoria – chan! Double Spear!"

She separated her spear into two and picked one with each hand: she then began to attack Roll with quick and precise attacks which delivered minimal cuts and scratches.

"Battle Chip, Elec Sword! Slot In!"

Roll tried to hit Stratega, but she used her right hand's spear to block her off and countered with the left hand's spear: she made a horizontal cut on Roll's bodysuit above her chest emblem.

"Ah… AH…!

Roll gasped and suddenly looked afraid as she stepped back and looked at the ground: she seemed to be shaking and trembling.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh. My psychological warfare strategy is working perfectly. Stratega! The finishing blow!"

"Yeah! Go meet Lucifer – sama in Hell!" Stratega announced.

She kicked Roll on her lower jaw and then aimed both spears towards her chest emblem while plunging towards there.

"Number Tenbou!"

Number Man's stick blocked off the spears and he stood in the middle to block Stratega off.

"Roll! Are you okay?" He asked.

"Uh… Number Man!" She gasped.

"Che." Stratega cursed.

"Crap." Pueblera hissed.

"Why are you here?" Meiru asked.

"Well. I was handing out pamphlets for Higureya's Battle Chip trading machine… I came here to give you a copy and I find this."

"You pervert! This is an affair between women!" Pueblera told him.

"I won't let anyone kill a friend! Dice Bomb!"

Number Man tossed the dice and it marked six: thus, six consequential explosions rang out around Stratega, who had to shield herself.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 100! Slot In!" Meiru announced.

Roll's wound healed and she snapped out of it while jumping into the air and plunging the Elec Sword into Stratega's right shoulder: she shrieked and collapsed into her knees.

"D-damn!" She cursed.

"Crap. I better run out." Pueblera muttered.

There were some sounds like someone was banging into the door and Pueblera gasped.

"Net Police! Open up!"

"No way!" She cursed.

Prism Man and the police Navis showed up to activate the cage and trap Stratega inside.

"You're under arrest for attempting to delete a "Net Savior" Net Navi and for collaboration with a terrorist organization." Prism Man announced to her.

"Shit!" She hissed.

"Victoria Pueblera! You're under arrest for stalking and illegally recording a "Net Savior" while on and off - duty." Misaki announced.

"NO WAY!" Pueblera yelled.

"Take that!" Meiru made a victorious gesture.

"We win!".

"Phew!" Number Man sighed in relief.

"I'll fucking kill ya!" Stratega threatened.

"I'll have my payback!" Pueblera hissed.

"Take them away!"

The Navis departed with Stratega in tow and the officers arrested Pueblera.

"Well. We've got five insofar if we count the two mercenaries and Atamane… But there's still job pending." Misaki muttered.

"Well! Here you have the pamphlet: I'm off before Yamitarou tries to pull something."

"Huh? Is Higure – san doing something bad?"

"He's making a fool of himself." Number Man growled.

"Whoa!" Both girls sounded surprised.

"Anyway… I'm off. Be careful!"

"_Bye – bye_!"

"Roll! Plug Out!"

"Roger!"

Meiru looked victorious as evidenced by her closed fist.

"Hah! I avenged Saito – kun. Netto now owes me one!" She announced with a grin.

"Huh… Guess so…" Roll looked slightly nervous.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh! Netto! I beat the men's toilet curse!"

10:29 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Stop right there."

"Hmpf. Bothersome red punk…"

"Delete it."

"Roger."

"I wonder about that."

Blues was facing Armored Man in front of a half – disassembled firewall somewhere: Armored Man looked annoyed and so did Brekez.

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"Armored Hands!"

Armored Man opened his hands and blocked off the Sonic Boom with them without too much effort.

"Damn." Enzan cursed.

"Hmpf." Brekez put up a smug smile.

"Armored Fists!"

Armored Man's fists shone with red energy and he tried to hit Blues by swinging both of them, but Blues rolled across the ground and stood up to dodge.

"Hra~h!"

He tried to hit Armored Man with the Neo Variable Sword and it shattered upon impact: Armored Man punched him with the right fist and then kicked him with his left foot, sending him flying and landing hard into the ground.

"Grah!"

"Blues! Stand up!"

"Roger, Enzan – sama!"

Blues managed to stand up and he was panting as he tried to focus on the ongoing fight.

"Beam Rain!"

Various steel beams rained down around Blues and he had to dodge them as they plunged into the ground and got stuck there, thus creating a maze-like terrain around them.

"Steel Boomerang!"

A metallic gray – colored boomerang formed and flew towards Blues: he ducked and jumped to avoid it when it flew back at Armored Man's right hand.

"Battle Chip, Flame Sword! Slot In!"

Blues jumped towards Armored Man: he brought up his right forearm and blocked Blues.

"Useless." He dully announced.

"I wonder about that." Blues smiled.

"What?"

The Flame Sword's heat began to slowly melt off his forearm while emitting smoke and he gasped: he used the left fist to try to punch Blues, but he jumped and landed on top of the right shoulder to plunge the Flame Sword there: it also began to melt the armor.

"Gruh!"

Armored Man then jumped into the air and spun 360º vertical degrees to shake Blues off before landing on the ground.

"Hah."

Blues also landed on the ground without much trouble and readied his Flame Sword while Armored Man grumbled and stepped back seeing how the situation was not being favorable.

"Dark Chip, Slot In." Brekez calmly announced.

Armored Man powered up and made a grin.

"Armored Rolling!"

He suddenly crouched while closing his arms around his legs beneath the knees and shot forward while kicking the steel beams out of his way and heading towards Blues, who was trying to outrun him.

"Battle Chip, Area Steal! Slot In!"

Blues warped and Armored Man hit the ground with violence, thus leaving a crater on it: he assumed his normal form and looked around for Blues.

"Vaccine Chip, Slot In!"

"Vaccine Chip: Fire!"

Blues showed up right in front of him and shot the "Vaccine Chip" at close quarters: it immediately cancelled Armored Man's power up and he roared as he collapsed into his knees.

"Ugh!"

"Not yet." Brekez muttered.

She tried to use the second "Dark Chip", but there was the familiar buzz and Blues smiled.

"Same trick doesn't work twice." He announced.

"You lowlife…! Crush Fists!"

He intercrossed his hands' fingers to form one punch and hit the ground with it: it caused a powerful shockwave which made more steel beams appear on its outer rim: they created a barrier which limited the fighting space and turned it into a ring-like space.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Flame, Elec, Aqua, Bamboo Sword!"

"Elemental Sword!"

Blues' Program Advance delivered four different cuts on Armored Man's upper torso, right left, left arm and forehead: he dropped into his knees while panting.

"Game Over." Enzan announced.

"Che. I'm off." Brekez scoffed.

"We won't let you!"

Prism Man and the Police Navis showed up there: they immediately caged Armored Man, who tried to force his way out of the cage but was only electrocuted in exchange.

"Samantha Brekez! You're under arrest for stealing firewall components and selling them to other parties!" Misaki exclaimed.

"Damn. The Net Police…!" She cursed.

"It's futile to escape: give it up!" Misaki ordered.

"Heh. This one is the sixth one. We're making progress." Enzan smiled and sounded in a good mood.

"True, Enzan – sama." Blues confirmed.

"You punk…! I'll have my revenge!" Brekez cursed.

"I'll make bits and bytes out of you lowlife!" Armored Man threatened next.

"Brag while you can." Blues taunted.

"You're over."

The two criminals were taken away while Enzan stood up and walked over to the windows to look at the sunny day.

"Oh. True. Netto has to go to the hospital tomorrow and they'll tell him if he's already healed… It'll be a good day." Enzan smiled.

"Heh. I'm sure Saito will be glad of it." Blues looked amused.

"Yeah. I'm sure they'll play pillow war to celebrate it." Enzan grinned.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Blues chuckled.

"… Hawk Claws!"

"Ice Tower!"

Freeze Man was battling Hawk Man in one of Internet City's rooftops: he dodged his diving from the air and jumped into another rooftop while Hawk Man hovered above the ground.

"So! Where's Rock Man?" He questioned.

"I won't tell you lowlifes: I know you lowlifes plan on handing him to Nemenaya Mies!" Freeze Man made a grimace.

"Sharp, aren't cha, Mr. Freeze wannabe?" Phoenix teased.

"Grrr!"

"Whatever… I'll pick the info from your remains once I've deleted you like Sergei – sama almost did!"

"Icicle Fall!"

A strong gust began to hit the area as several icicles rained down around them: some of them scratched or hit Hawk Man: he hissed and suddenly shot forward towards Freeze Man.

"Mountain Spear!"

The spears shot out and Hawk Man dived up or down to avoid them although one or two did hit him and push him back: he didn't lose his momentum and seemingly grinned as he approached Freeze Man.

"Ice Tower!"

The Ice Towers appeared from the ground just beneath him and shot skywards: one or two plunged into his body and got stuck there while the Ice Tower grew.

"Heh."

Freeze Man then snapped his fingers and it shattered, thus making Hawk Man hit the ground in a hard manner while groaning in pain.

"So?" He taunted.

"W-why, you…!" He cursed.

"Dark Chip, Slot In!"

"Hra~h!"

Hawk Man recovered and he grinned as he readied his claws.

"Playtime's over. Die!" He roared.

He tried to plunge them into Freeze Man, but a cloud of smoke ensued and an Ice Cube was left on his place: three _shuriken_ hit his back and he growled.

"Hah."

Freeze Man then landed back on the spot he'd been at and looked at a "Vaccine Chip" on his hand: he aimed it at Hawk Man while he was trying to get rid of the _shuriken_.

"Vaccine Chip: Fire!"

The "Vaccine Chip" effects ensued and robbed Hawk Man of his power – up so he collapsed into the ground.

"Don't screw me! Dark Chip, Slot In!" Phoenix cursed.

The usual buzz ensued and Freeze Man chuckled.

"You bothersome meddling lowlife!" Hawk Man cursed.

"That's my motto. Ice Stage!"

The Ice Stage encompassed the whole roof and trapped Hawk Man inside of mass of ice.

"Damn! Plug Out!"

"That won't do."

There was another buzz and Phoenix cursed something under her breath while hitting the PET.

"You idiotic machine!"

"That's enough! Jess Phoenix!" Misaki commanded.

She gasped and looked terrified as Misaki and the Net Police got into her hideout.

"You're under arrest for embezzling of Ishikawa & Yamato Consortium Inc.'s money and tax evasion!" Misaki announced.

"Damn you, Mr. Freeze!" She cursed.

The police Navis and Prism Man grabbed the block of ice with Hawk Man inside and placed it inside of the cage: it melted and Hawk Man cursed under his breath.

"I'll slaughter you lowlife!" He hissed.

"Hmpf." Freeze Man folded his arms.

"Good job." Prism Man told him.

"My pleasure…"

"Seven. We're missing another five."

"Good. I'll report to Shuryou. Farewell."

"… Satellite Ray!"

"Eat TNT! TNT Barrels!"

Search Man was facing Demolition Man: the Satellite Ray bounced off his body and he summoned some wood barrels which began to roll down the slightly incline Cyber World: Search Man had to jump over them and go on advancing.

"Surprised, Sharo guy? I ripped this off the _Donkey Kong_ games! Bwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!" Mole laughed.

"Che! This won't be easy." Laika cursed.

"Laika – sama!"

"I know! Switch to Freeze Bullet mode!" Laika commanded.

"Roger!"

Search Man switched ammunition and shot the ground to create some small masses of ice to stop the barrels and he ran up the hill while aiming the Scope Gun.

"Che! Demolition Bomb!" He cursed.

He took out two outdated round bombs like the ones Bomber Man had used to employ and lit their fuses before making them roll down the ramp towards Search Man.

"Scope Gun!"

He shot Demolition Man's feet and immobilized him as he shot other parts of his body.

"Not yet! Battle Chip, Salamander! Slot In! Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h!" Mole announced.

"Damn." Laika cursed.

Demolition Man melted the ice and then shot forward towards Search Man, who had to toss himself into the ground to dodge while Demolition Man landed behind him.

"And now…! Dark Chip, Slot In!" Mole laughed.

"Hah! I'm invincible!" Armored Man boasted.

"Strategy _Beta_." Laika announced.

"Roger."

"Vaccine Chip, Slot In!"

"Vaccine Chip: Fire!"

The usual effects showed up: Demolition Man lost his newfound strength and collapsed into his knees.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 100, Drill Arm! Double Slot In!"

Demolition Man healed and drew the Drill Arm while jumping towards Search Man.

"Scope Gun!"

The shot hit his forehead and he was pushed back, so he fell into the ground without being able to complete the maneuver.

"We need more power, then! Dark Chip, Slot In!" Mole cursed.

"Hmpf." Laika grinned.

"What the…? "ERROR"? Shit!" He cursed.

"I'm not over yet! Demolition Kick!"

Demolition Man kicked the ground with violence and several terrain chunks flew out towards Search Man: he didn't lose his cool.

"Battle Chip, Triple Bomb! Slot In!"

Search Man threw the Triple Bombs at the chunks of terrain to destroy them while he aimed his Scope Gun at Demolition Man.

"Scope Gun: Freeze Bullet Mode!"

The Freeze Bullet hit Demolition Man again and froze some more chunks of his body: he cursed and tried to break free.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Vulcan, Triple Slot In!"

"Mugen Vulcan!"

The machinegun's shots hit Demolition Man and formed wounds on his body: he cursed aloud and collapsed again while panting.

"Mac Mole! Don't move! You're under arrest for massive destruction on a government facility and selling explosives to a terrorist organization!"

"Shit! Get yer hands outta me, ye jerks!" He cursed.

"Damn!" Demolition Man hissed.

"You're over." Prism Man announced.

They quickly seized him and he cursed aloud.

"Green flea! I'm gonna demolish ya!" He cursed.

"Hmpf." Search Man was unimpressed.

"Snow punk! I'm so gonna blow you up with my TNT!" Mole threatened Laika.

"Hmpf. I'll freeze it to render it useless." Laika shot back.

"Good work. Eight. Another four are left.

"We're making progress." Search Man nodded in agreement.

"Heh. Now I'm even with Enzan. We'll have to go for a rematch." Laika suddenly smiled.

"Blues must be yearning for a competition, I'd daresay." Search Man also smiled.

"We're going. Take care." Misaki announced.

"Roger. I'll go report to Commissioner Kifune."

"… Shah, shah, shah, shah, shah! So ya tried to sneak on us but yer plan shot back at cha! Didn't it?"

"Che. This guy…!"

Needle Man was having a face-off with Cecile somewhere.

"I did well on checking this place: you were hiding here!"

"Damn you, Oozono! Sink into the sea!" She cursed.

"Shah, shah, shah! There was a big quarrel 'ere in the past! And here is the old "Dark Chip" factory on the reclaimed lands… But today it'll be a _small _quarrel." Needle Man grinned.

"Brag while you can, you barbarian!" Cecile told him.

"Battle Chip, Mega Cannon! Slot In!" Odoroida commanded.

"Take this! Mega Cannon!"

"Shah, shah, shah! Needle Cannon!"

Needle Man shot into the air and bombarded Cecile with his projectiles while she shot the Mega Cannon: Needle Man easily dodged the shots given their lack of precision.

"Damn!" Cecile cursed.

"Battle Chip, Wind God Racket! Slot In!"

Cecile drew the racket and swung it: the resulting wind pushed Needle Man back and he had to shield himself.

"Battle Chip, Long Blade! Double Slot In!"

Cecile drew both Long Blades and jumped towards Needle Man: he merely grinned and looked like he expected the move.

"Shah, shah, shah! Needle Attack! Messy Shooting!"

His needles grew longer and blocked off Cecile as Needle Man broke the Long Blades and then rammed several times into her: he pushed her into the ground and she cursed.

"Barbarian! Savage!" She cursed.

"Shah, shah, shah!" Needle Man grinned.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 100, Elec Blade! Double Slot In!"

Cecile healed and drew the Elec Blade: she hit one of the needles and electrocuted Needle Man's body: he grumbled something while his body smoked but he still looked in shape.

"Grrr… That won't be enough! Clear Needle!"

He tried to attack Cecile, but she brought up the Elec Blade and electrocuted him again.

"Tee, heh, heh! This is shock treatment!"

"Che. Battle Chip, Recovery 100! Slot In!"

"Playtime's over… Dark Chip, Slot In!" Odoroida laughed.

Cecile powered up and drew a second Elec Blade: she jumped towards Needle Man, who simply drew his right arm's cannon.

"Vaccine Chip, Slot In!"

"Shah, shah, shah! Vaccine Chip: Fire!"

Needle Man hit Cecile's chest emblem and she lost her momentum thus dropping into the ground in a totally unceremoniously manner: she rubbed her legs and grumbled.

"Grah! I'm getting fed up with this! Dark Chip, Slot In!" Odoroida grumbled while making a grimace.

Yuriko grinned as she spotted Odoroida on a catwalk above her: the Link PET buzzed and Odoroida gasped.

"…"ERROR"? What the hell?" She cursed.

"… "Fool me once, you're to shame. Fool me twice, you're to shame"… In short: the same trick won't work twice." Yuriko announced.

"You…!" She snapped.

"I'm a rebellious woman: I knew it." Yuriko shot back with a hint of sarcasm.

"Che. Battle Chip, Hell's Burner! Slot In!"

"Burn! Hell's Burner!"

Cecile shot the blast of fire at Needle Man: he grinned and didn't bother to move.

"Battle Chip, Curse Shield! Slot In!"

The Curse Shield blocked the attack and then shot back at Cecile, setting her on fire.

"Aie~h!"

The fire soon died down and she had large burnt marks around her body and face while she had lowered her gaze: she then looked up and seemed about to murder someone.

"MURDER!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah. Murder them." Odoroida commanded.

"That's enough!"

Odoroida gasped: the Net Police team was rushing into the factory while Yuriko grinned.

"Odoroida Karina! You're under arrest for stalking and seven break-ins on houses to plant listening devices and commit billing fraud!" Misaki announced.

Some policemen dropped in from the hole in the ceiling and landed in the catwalks thus cornering her.

"Damn! You woman…!" She cursed.

Prism Man and the police Navis imprisoned Cecile and she directed murderous glares at them.

"You filthy men! One day we shall change history!" She proclaimed with obvious anger.

"Shah, shah, shah! I dunno! But it'd seem that billing fraud ain't gonna "change history"!" Needle Man shrugged.

"Let's go to the Net Police HQ." Prism Man announced.

"Eight. Three left." Misaki announced.

"Good job, Detective Misaki. Today will be one of those good days, I imagine." Yuriko smiled at her.

"Guess so!" Misaki shrugged.

"Take your hands off me, traitor women!" Odoroida cursed.

11:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Crap."

"We're in trouble."

"Yeah! Cha are."

"This is for Netto's sake!"

Levé and Riva were facing off against Jasmine and Meddy inside of an abandoned Internet City shop.

"We know you were planning on gaining his trust and then betray him by pretending he hit you and was rude to trigger jealousy on the other classmates and have them hit him! That's a witch's act!" Jasmine told her while looking annoyed.

"Hmpf! Men must be tamed before they build up their arrogance against we girls!" Levé shot back.

"All's valid in war!" Riva added.

"Che! You're not gonna fool my friend!" Meddy scoffed.

"Battle Chip, Tank Cannon! Slot In!"

"Battle Chip, Barrier! Slot In!"

The Barrier protected Meddy from Riva's Tank Cannon blast and she then jumped into the air.

"Medical Attack!"

Two spheroids colored red and blue shot forward towards Riva: she jumped into the air to dodge.

"Battle Chip, Shotgun! Slot In!"

Riva focused the lock marks and delivered three shots to Meddy's forehead, upper chest and skirt: she looked annoyed.

"Why, you…! Even if you are a girl, this was too rude!" She told Riva while signaling her with an accusing finger.

"Heh. Be glad it wasn't a man." Riva shot back.

"Battle Chip, Hi Boomerang! Slot In!"

"Clinic Bomb!"

Meddy shot a blue sphere at Riva and it hit her: it sucked off some of her HP and she collapsed into her knees while the stolen HP regenerated Meddy's HP.

"Heh!" Jasmine grinned.

"Che." Levé scoffed.

"This one…!" Riva hissed.

"Catch me!" Meddy challenged.

"Battle Chip, Grass Seed! Slot In!"

"Grass Seed!"

She tossed the green oval at the ground and some green vines popped out of it along with grass: they immobilized Meddy and coiled around her skirt, chest and neck.

"What a…!" She cursed.

"Ever heard of tentacle _hentai_? Tee, heh, heh!"

"Che! Battle Chip…!"

"Too slow! Battle Chip, Magma Seed!" Patricia grinned.

"Magma Seed!"

Riva tossed the Magma Seed at Meddy and inflicted double damage due to the earlier Grass Seed: Meddy got stuck on the magma pool while Riva appeared in front of her.

"Maybe I should call someone to look at your disgraceful hide?" Riva taunted.

"Stay away!" Meddy shot back.

"Battle Chip, Area Steal, Recovery 200! Double Slot In!" Jasmine announced.

Meddy escaped and healed while sighing in relief: she then looked around and spotted Riva running towards her from the south east.

"Meddy Capsule!"

Riva jumped into the air and dodged them before landing back on the ground again.

"Battle Chip, Yo-yo! Slot In!" Levé commanded.

"Yo-yo!"

"Battle Chip, Long Sword! Slot In!" Jasmine announced.

"Long Sword!"

Riva ducked and shot the Yoyo past Meddy: it then coiled around her waist and Riva tugged it until Meddy was next to her.

"Should we check if you're fitting to be merchandise?" She taunted with an evil smile.

"Let go of me!" Meddy cursed.

"Battle Chip, Salamander! Slot In!"

"Salamander!"

The Salamander's fire burnt the Yo-yo and Riva while Meddy shot skywards only to then dive back and hit Riva fully.

"Kya~h! You nurse wannabe…! I'm so gonna send you to the living _Naraku_: what happed to the pink idiot was not the real stuff… It's waiting to set its claws on you!" Riva cursed.

"Brag while you can!" Meddy shot back.

"No more fooling around! Dark Chip, Slot In!" Levé exclaimed.

"Heh! I'll defeat you thanks to the power of this juicy "Dark Chip", you nurse wannabe!" Riva boasted.

"Vaccine Chip, Slot In!"

"Vaccine Chip: Fire!"

"Useless!" Riva boasted.

The "Vaccine Chip" blast hit her fully and she lost her power: she collapsed into the ground and panted.

"No! Once more! Dark Chip, Slot In!"

There was the classical buzz and Levé let out a string of curses.

"By all the…! What the devil happened? It won't work? Che!" She cursed aloud.

"I can still fight!" Riva announced.

"Yeah! Battle Chip, Killer Eye! Slot In!"

A Killer Eye Virus showed up and shot a beam at Meddy, paralyzing while she was rushing towards Riva with the Long Sword: she struggled but was unable to move.

"Tee, heh, heh. Let's have a look." Riva giggled.

She walked over to Meddy and used her hands to travel down her body before she kicked her lower jaw and tossed her into the ground: she then stepped over the Long Sword and broke it down.

"Patricia – chan! Go ahead and contact Mr. Smith. His agents will take care of the rest." Riva called out.

"I'm not gonna let ya! Plug Out!"

This time, Jasmine's Link PET buzzed and she gasped.

"What! It's an effect of the Killer Eye?" She wondered.

"Yeah! Say bye to your sanity!"

DZING!

The sound of glass breaking rang out and she gasped.

"We found you!" Yuriko exclaimed.

"The woman clad in black…!" She cursed.

"My name is Yuriko, in case you didn't remember. And this is as far as you come." Yuriko announced.

"Patricia Levé! You're under arrest for using fake identities and illegally joining and leaving institutes. Also! You were cooperating with a terrorist organization so it's a valid clause as well. You're charged with attempted abduction and underground deal as well." Misaki listed.

"Damn! I was so close…!" She cursed.

Prism Man and the police Navis arrived but Riva looked like she was about to fight to the end.

"Meddy Capsule!"

The capsules hit her and paralyzed her: Meddy tackled into her with her right shoulder and pushed her inside of the cage, which closed: she made a smug smile.

"Laugh while you can! There's already a prize on your hide!" Riva threatened.

Suddenly, four mean-looking Net Navis entered the system but stepped back upon seeing the police Navis.

"Seize them!" Prism Man commanded.

The police Navis quickly drew Cannon Battle Chips and shot at the Navis to stun them and handcuff them.

"Detective Misaki! We rounded up four suspicious men who were trying to break into the Net Police HQ." A policeman reported over the radio.

"Hum! Interrogate them: they must work for this "Mr. Smith."." Misaki replied.

"Damn you all! I'll remember this!"

"Game Over." Yuriko smugly announced.

20:20 PM (Shangai Time), Saturday November the 5th…

"… Heh! This is the ideal place to stay at. Shanghai is a discrete city. And this is _Choina_, the biggest red country in the world! Heh, heh, heh. They'll gladly shelter a good Cuban who is under government employment. Heh, heh, heh."

Fidel Sneaky was sitting on a chair inside of a room somewhere and looking out at the evening skyline: he had a glass with something served on it along with ice and a _bourbon_ bottle was left on a desk nearby.

"True, Sgt. Sneaky! You are a genius!" Camouflage Man added.

Sneaky finished his _bourbon_ glass and sat down on the desk to read some documents: there was a discrete knock on the door and he looked up.

"Mr. Customer. The dinner you have ordered is here." A man announced.

"Ah! The Beijing Duck… Excellent! Come in!" He grinned.

"I am sorry. But I do not have a key."

"True, true… Sorry. I'll open up."

He walked over to the door and looked out through the peep hole: there was indeed the employee with the cart: Sneaky opened the door and unlocked the security chain.

"Do excuse us."

However, two men wearing black suits and sunglasses showed up from the sides of the door and stepped inside.

"What? The Secret Service…?" He wondered.

"Correct."

"What… Is this you guys' form of saying hi to a foreign government employee?" He questioned with a hint of annoyance.

"You are no government employee and no sergeant. You are a terrorist and we have proof of your involvement with Silver Arrow." The other agent replied.

"WHA~T?" He yelled.

"Accompany us." One commanded.

Sneaky, however, ducked and grabbed one of them while picking off his service gun and aiming it to his temple.

"You! Make a step and this one goes to Hell. I've been in a paramilitary group and we once vented off six cops when he hit La Habana bank ten years ago! I know how to handle guns and this is a child's game!" He threatened.

"Mr. Employee. Run off." The other agent calmly ordered.

The employee didn't need to be told twice: he ran off at top speed and was soon out of sight while the other agent took out his gun.

"Che. They train all of ye people to act alone, huh?" Sneaky guessed while grumbling.

"Correct. Give it up." The agent calmly replied.

"Have your pal back, then!"

He pushed the other agent forward and he crashed with his colleague: Sneaky then grabbed the _bourbon_ bottle and used it to knock both of them out before he picked the second gun and his Link PET: he closed the room's door and looked around: the corridor was empty.

_The fire stairs…_

He found them and used his Link PET's flashlight to check it: there was no – one.

_I can always break into a staff storeroom at the 1__st__ floor and jump down into the rear yard… It's closed off due to reformation and there'll be no one… I can then pick a car and flee… Che. _

"Camouflage Man! Scan for any living signatures while I navigate: we need to get outta here." He commanded.

"Roger, Sgt. Sneaky."

Sneaky triggered his optical camouflage and quickly ran down the stairs from the 5th floor where he was at: he reached the 1st floor and soon spotted a door with "STAFF ONLY" label.

_There. Let's check…_

"Signatures?" He questioned.

"Zero." Camouflage Man confirmed.

"Good."

Sneaky broke into the storeroom and closed the door behind him: he opened the window and easily jumped into the sealed off yard.

"Heh!"

He ducked and hid behind a pile of debris before he spotted a plastic bottle of water which someone had forgotten: he opened it and soaked the ground with it.

_Since we're at autumn, this place gets cold soon enough, so it should help delete my heat imprints. Let's not take too long. _

He quickly jumped over a fence and into a desert street: he spotted a red Honda parked there.

_This car will do. _

"Signatures?" He questioned again.

"Zero in a 500 meters radius. The area is safe, Sgt. Sneaky." Camouflage Man replied.

He quickly crawled next to the car and silently plugged Camouflage Man in: he unlocked it and Sneaky climbed in after checking both the trunk and the rear seats: he calmly drove away.

_I need somewhere to hide at. Maybe an abandoned building or somewhere similar will do… _

He drove for half an hour until he reached a set of abandoned warehouses near the sea.

_These will do._

He parked the car in a steep hill and climbed down: he quickly released the hand brake and jumped out as it began to slide down the hill and fell into the sea: Sneaky grinned and headed over to one warehouse.

"Zero signatures in the 500 meters radius. I tested IR and X – Ray as well to make sure." Camouflage Man reported.

"Heh! They were so confident that the only sent two agents and didn't think that I'd give them so much trouble." Sneaky grinned.

He stepped into one warehouse and checked it out.

"So… Our sergeant wannabe is here." A voice rang out.

"What!" He gasped.

"No way!" Camouflage Man gasped.

Sneaky looked around and spotted Burai DS' projected image sitting atop some crates and looking amused.

"A hologram…! You scared me, _amigo_!" He told him.

"Sorry. But I was the one who tipped off the Secret Service. In fact… They should be about to arrive here, too." He grinned.

"What! But there's no…!" He argued.

"I know. But did you bother to check the skies?" Burai DS looked rather amused.

"A helicopter…! I heard a helicopter noise from time to time but I didn't think of it because it was always flying away from me!" Sneaky gasped and looked horrified.

"A SWAT team is aboard it. They've got orders to catch ya and then hand ya to the Japanese authorities. You're charged with stalking of a "Net Savior", break in and abduction of a civilian." Burai DS listed with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Damn you!" Sneaky cursed.

"Oi, oi… Be glad it ain't the Cubans: they'd had you executed! Instead, you'll spend about 20 years in the brig."

"Die!"

Sneaky shot him with both guns: the bullets flew past him and hit the wall.

"_Hasta la vista, compadre_." He announced.

His hologram vanished while Sneaky cursed under his breath as the helicopter noise grew louder and it landed close by: the doors were busted open and SWAT members ran in.

"Give up!" The captain commanded.

Sneaky tried shooting them, but his guns were already empty from his earlier outburst: the SWAT men charged him and reduced him, leading him towards the chopper while some SWAT Navis cornered Camouflage Man.

"Let's go!" The captain commanded.

"… Shun – sama. I bring news."

"What's up?"

Obihiro had been working with his laptop: several drawings and graphs of gigantic Viruses could be seen displayed on its screen.

"All the freelancers have been rounded: there was a massive operation today. The only remaining ones are Nemenaya Mies and Salome."

"Whoa!"

"They even found Sgt. Sneaky in Shanghai and captured him after he tried to make a run for it." He added.

"Hum! We'll have to be careful… But… How did they find them all of a sudden?" He wondered.

"It'd seem the new - gen "Vaccine Chips" act like real vaccines: a Navi treated by it can't use a "Dark Chip" twice. Any attempts will give out the Operator's location." Hunter Man explained.

"Crap. They're smarter than I thought."

"What should we do, Shun – sama?"

"Stay put, obviously enough…! And I'm sure they'll find Nemenaya sooner or later… Is there any news on Ivan or Sergei?" He muttered before questioning.

"There aren't, Shun – sama. The Net Police believe they've gone to keep a low profile to then strike when they're lax and deliver heavy damage to them… It would seem it is up to us to continue their work."

"Guess I'll keep on working on the Giant Viruses and try some "Darkloid" reconstruction next…" He scratched the back of his head.

"Roger. I shall supervise our security."

"Yeah. Go, go…"

Hunter Man departed while Obihiro crossed his arms and looked slightly concerned, for once.

"Okay. No "Dark Chips" or they'll use the "Vaccine Chip" which can give me away one day. Hmmm… Wait. I could use something to turn the tables in an eventual battle with Hikari… Maybe I can rebuild it into a simpler format… Heh, heh, heh… I'll make you live a nightmare, Hikari…" He muttered before smiling.

"… Whoa. So only that Nemenaya is left out there to catch?"

"Yeah, Netto. We're drawing closer to ending this."

Netto got a call from Enzan while sitting on the chair in front of his desk.

"Take care, _Buruusu_." Saito told him.

"Thanks. See you around, Saito." Blues replied.

"Otouto. We're drawing closer to ending this threat."

"Yeah. We'll fight until the very end, Saito – niisan."

"United we can create infinite power!"


	44. Chapter 44: The third ascension

**Chapter 44: The third ascension**

10:50 AM (Japan Time), Sunday November the 13th…

"… Grave Laser!"

"Air Shoes!"

Sidier was facing off Grave Joker DS in the main arena of the Fortress Temple: Acid Ace DS was sitting on the ground nearby while looking exhausted and beaten.

"Wow."

The other warriors looked from the sidelines as Sidier used the Air Shoes to hover and dodge a gigantic and powerful last shot by Grave Joker DS in the nick of time.

"Heh! He's changed strategies ever since his third attempt. That was when he could get past Acid Ace DS – sama, but he couldn't fare good against Grave Joker DS – sama." Spade Magnets DS commented with a smug smile on his face.

"Che. All cha think 'bout is battling. When will you bother to fix those circuitry patches?" Dia Iceburn DS complained.

"I guess he won't anytime soon!" Club Strong DS shrugged.

"Oi, oi! Why is the great me the one who gets criticized?" Spade Magnets DS complained.

"I dunno." Jack Corvus DS shrugged.

"Maybe it is because of his lack of dedication to the Tribe?" Queen Virgo DS suggested with a hint of annoyance.

"Let us witness." Sirius DS suggested in a calm tone of voice.

"YO, YO, YO! This _is_ a true battle!" Moon Disaster DS exclaimed.

"Oi, oi! You guys… Don't quarrel again, will ya? Make us that favor: it ain't that hard! Is it?" Acid Ace DS called out with a hint of defeatism on his voice.

"Roger." They all confirmed.

"Grave Swing!"

Sidier ducked as Grave Joker DS swung his gigantic arms around twice.

_My height gives me some advantage. I need to stay focused so that I can win this battle… I shall not give up having come this far…! Only one battle stands in my path towards my future…!_

"Blinder! Drill Arm!"

The Blinder distracted Grave Joker DS and Sidier then plunged the Drill Arm into his chest: he quickly jumped away just as the right fist crossed the space he'd been at a second ago.

_I knew it. He can defend himself even while momentarily blinded… I must keep my distance!_

"Giant Buildings!"

Some large and tall metallic boxes with red patterns drawn into them rained down and limited Sidier's choice of movements.

"Grave Missile!"

A barrage of about fifteen missiles began to fall down: there were three rows of five.

_This will be painful if it hits me. Thus, I shall use the classical methodology… _

He took cover beneath the blocks as the missiles rained down and destroyed all of them: three of them converged on his position and impacted: a log appeared on his place and Grave Joker DS gasped in surprise.

"What!"

Three _shuriken_ rained down and embedded on his back as Sidier appeared with a new Drill Arm and attacked the slowly regenerating wound.

"Gruo~h!"

He reached deeper and jumped off as Grave Joker DS tried to hit him with his fists.

_One or two blows like this one and he should fall down… But I must be ready for either the missiles or the laser again…_

"Grave Laser!"

_I knew it! Quick: the shield!_

"Curse Shield!"

The Curse Shield deflected part of the attack before it broke and some of it hit Sidier: both of them gained further wounds and began to pant from the tiredness.

"Whoa. This looks like a stalemate… Whoever moves first, wins…" Spade Magnets DS whistled in surprise.

"Mr. Rocky knows it all about battles, anyway!" Dia Iceburn DS shrugged and didn't seem to be impressed.

"Why don't we go and call him Mr. Pluto while we're at it?" Jack Corvus DS suggested with a hint of sarcasm.

"It'd break the pattern of our names!" Club Strong DS argued.

"It'd sure do." Queen Virgo DS shrugged.

"YO, YO, YO! He's gone to Pluto and come back with a postcard!" Moon Disaster DS joked.

"Why, you…!" Spade Magnets DS growled.

"Bring it on." He grinned.

"Quit it already!" Acid Ace DS sounded exasperated.

Sidier suddenly jumped into the air and dived towards Grave Joker DS, who readied both fists.

"Grave Swing!"

"Drill Arm!"

Sidier landed on top of the right arm and used it as a base to jump towards the chest wound.

"Huh!"

He plunged the Drill Arm into it and reached the "Ultimate Program": Grave Joker DS let out a howl of pain and stepped back while Sidier jumped off and landed into the ground.

_Almost there…! Another little bit…_!

"… Huff… Huff…! Not… yet…!" Grave Joker DS announced.

He stood up all of sudden and readied his fists.

"Grave Missile!"

The rain of missiles happened again but Sidier merely tensed his body and narrowed his eyes.

"Fumikomi Cross!"

He dashed forward while cutting through the missiles with the Wide Sword on his left forearm while he jumped on top of Grave Joker DS and plunged the Drill Arm into his wound yet again.

"Gruo~h!"

Sidier jumped back and panted as Grave Joker DS collapsed into his knees and, finally, into the ground: Sidier waited some seconds while trying to keep on but the adversary didn't move.

"Gruoh… Man… My whole armor's busted… Ironic…! I'm Breaker Elemental but… an attack of my same type got me…! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Yeah… I hadn't such a thrill… in years…!" Grave Joker DS muttered while managing to do a small chuckle.

He managed to stand up while using his left leg in support and looked at the deep wound which was starting to slowly regenerate.

"Okay… Sidier! Ya win. I admit it: you're the most innovative guy I've ever battled!" He called out.

"HORRAY!" The public cheered.

Sidier cancelled his weapons and saluted while Acid Ace DS walked over to him.

"Congratulations! You are now granted the "Courageous" title! Sidier the Deathless, Fearless and Courageous! These three titles describe your persona: you're the fourth person to gather them." He congratulated him with a smile.

"Thank you very much, Acid Ace DS – dono." He replied.

"Heh, heh, heh… Well! Guess I'll have to rest for a while… But, hey… Ya really are a neat guy. Heh. Solo will be amused once I tell 'im." Grave Joker DS told him.

"Then… I shall be going to the Great Sky Temple at last. My fate shall be decided there." He announced.

"But drop by anytime you want, too." Acid Ace DS invited.

"Yes, sir. I shall." Sidier saluted.

"And when cha do maybe Mr. Rocky will have bothered to change the electrical systems for the new ones." Dia Iceburn DS grinned.

"I ain't "Mr. Rocky"! I'm Spade Magnets DS!" Spade Magnets DS protested with obvious annoyance.

"You two: stay there. I need to talk with you later on." Acid Ace DS commanded them.

"Heh. The Ice Mistress got a scolding." Jack Corvus DS grinned.

"It would seem so." Sirius DS announced.

"Hum! Internal strife won't lead us anywhere." Club Strong DS warned.

"YO, YO, YO! To the Moon, maybe?" Moon Disaster DS laughed.

"Very funny." Queen Virgo DS drily told him.

"Huh. Ya never had any humor." He grumbled.

"Well! I'd say superhero wannabe will give those two their scolding. It's his job, anyway!" Grave Joker DS grinned.

"Not again with "superhero wannabe"… I'm tired of that!" Acid Ace DS told him with a hint of annoyance.

"Dunno. I was never one for subtleness." Grave Joker DS shrugged.

"This guy…" Acid Ace DS grumbled.

Sidier merely looked on while being seemingly surprised by the behavior of the Fortress Tribe.

"… Good news. Sidier did it: he's cleared the Fortress Temple."

"Splendid."

"Yeah. You'll finally give him some imagination?"

"Eh… But of course."

Solo, Saruba and Somari were having a talk in the Great Sky Temple regarding Sidier's victory: Somari was glaring at Saruba with a hostile look which made both him and Solo gulp from the nervousness.

"Good. But since he'll take a while to come up, then I'll go finish my new lyrics. And I want ya to do it as soon as he comes. Tell him it's a prize for having come so far and that it was locked to ensure that he would concentrate on battles." Somari instructed.

"Y-yeah… Please leave it to me, Somari – chan." Saruba gulped.

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. No – one can escape Somari Queen – sama's long musical strings!" She giggled.

She took out her notebook and quickly drew something while both of them gulped: she then ripped the page and made a paper airplane out of it which she to Solo: he caught it and gulped.

"Tee, heh, heh. See ya…"

She ran off while still giggling and Saruba jumped down from the throne to land at Solo's right and check the sheet of paper.

"Not again…"

It depicted Sidier kneeling in front of Harp Note DS who had a hammer on her right hand: there was a note.

"…"Harp Note DS – sama shall use the Punishing Hammer to knock the servant's mind straight and have him remember what it means to have a persistent echo inside of your helmet." … Scary, even…" Solo grimly muttered.

"Yeah. Truly scary…" Saruba rolled his eyes.

"… Well then! Take heed, Sidier. And come back anytime."

"Thank you very much."

"_Hopefully_, the electrical system and the simulations will have been improved by Mr. Rocky by the time you come back."

"Not you too…"

Sidier was standing in the main hall of the Fortress and talking to both Acid Ace DS and Grave Joker DS: the later had brought up Dia Iceburn DS' complains and Acid Ace DS slapped his own face in defeat: Sidier merely looked on while blinking in surprise but not abandoning his saluting manner.

"_Aibou_! When will ya stop pestering on me?" Acid Ace DS questioned his pal.

"Well! Dunno. Ask the sacred maiden via Skype if ya wanna figure it out, _dude_! And if ya have any credit left the account…" Grave Joker DS replied with a grin.

"And who is this "sacred maiden" supposed to be, hmmm?" Acid Ace DS questioned with a hint of skepticism.

"Dunno. Ask Solo! He was the one who told me it's becoming a new popular catchphrase out there."

"I will once he has free time. But I don't see the point of it. If _there_ is a point to begin with…" Acid Ace DS sounded suspicious.

"Oh… I'm the suspect in the malfunction of the elevator, then?" Grave Joker DS asked.

"It was established that Somari was the one who broke it on purpose because she had one of her moods and wanted to make Solo sweat for a while. Gotcha?" He annoyingly replied.

"Maybe."

"Man. What a stubborn dude."

"In any case… Good luck, Sidier! And tell Solo I'll be waitin' for a new round with 'im." Grave Joker DS told him.

"Yeah. He's always welcome."

"Thank you very much. I shall be going. Goodbye."

"Goodbye!"

Sidier calmly walked across the large bridge while leaving the titanic building behind him and soon reached the cave with the elevator there: he stepped on it and brought a hand to his chin.

_I do wonder if Kagehi – dono is still upset from that of the other day… Maybe Emperor S has had the chance to speak with Her Grace and settle this incident… I shall know once I get there._

The elevator halted and Sidier calmly headed south across the tunnel while picking east on the bifurcation: he soon reached the hill marked with the red "X" and checked his bearings.

"North."

He walked in that direction and soon found the tunnel leading towards the Great Sky Temple's plaza: he gulped for a second but then accelerated his pace until he emerged in the plaza.

"… It truly deserves being the central building of this nation… Living in the sky and seeing it all… This is where my fate will be sealed at. Let us march forward. I am not afraid of not being a rival for the Elites. I have come this far. I shall accept it with honor." He muttered.

He breathed deeply and stepped into the golden column of light: his body was seized by the atomic particles and propelled upwards until he appeared in the main room.

"Hum."

He looked above him and spotted the central mass of energy set on the container which received and emitted energy to the other tree sub generators.

"… Upstairs…" He muttered.

He climbed upstairs and glanced at the doors' labels: there was one with his name.

_It would seem they are planning for me to live here. But I must first visit my Lord._

He stopped in front of the two doors and waved his right hand towards the right: they both opened and slid away in silence.

_Here I am._

He then stepped into the room and immediately spotted Saruba talking about something with Solo in a corner of the room while having a paper on his right hand.

"… Jeez. Singing, teacher, cartoonist… I can't get to the bottom of the hobbies which Somari – chan picks on from time to time. And let's not forget her "teacher complex", either." Solo was telling Saruba.

"Yeah… Luckily, I prepared the program several days ahead, so… You will wanna go first?" Saruba replied before asking.

"Yeah. It'd seem Somari – chan believes that I'm impatient to test the guy out… There's something I've been wondering, though… Will you allow him to bring out his secret form?" Solo asked.

"Well… Why not… But he has zero experience with it, mind you…"

"Ops. I'd forgotten… Can't be helped, then! Maybe some other day… What time is it, anyway?" Solo sighed before asking.

"Hum… 12:05 PM…"

"Haven't we been talking for over an hour?" Solo frowned.

"Have we? Whoa. I thought girls took forever at the phone 'cause they had so much to tell each other, but… Now it'd seem we've both become fluid speakers." Saruba scratched the back of his head.

"You're not gonna tell me it's contagious." Solo suddenly muttered.

"Oh come on! Be realistic! We Net Navis can't get ill because of contagious illnesses… Unless it happened to be some form of malware..."

Solo then glanced towards the entrance and spotted Sidier kneeling while facing them.

"Oi! When did ya get in?" Solo questioned.

"7 minutes ago, sir." He replied.

"Man. See? We got so engrossed in our talk that we forgot to properly greet our guest. Maybe you're right and it's contagious." Saruba muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

He walked over to the throne, climbed up the steps, and sat down on it while Solo stood at the right flank: Sidier corrected his orientation but did not move from the spot he was kneeled at.

"Welcome, Sidier. You have made it this far." Saruba greeted.

"My Lord." He saluted.

"You might have seen your room's door on the way here… That'll be your personal room. You're going to live here amongst us starting today, you see."

"I understand, my Lord." He saluted.

"Well… Go and rest a bit before you face against Solo: he'll be your first opponent to test how much you've learnt. Ah! True, true… I'll drop by your room in a few minutes… There's something I need to modify from your code…" Saruba commanded before remembering.

"I deeply apologize for my rude behavior of not announcing my arrival to thou persona and accidentally overhearing a conversation above my clearance levels. I shall accept any punishment thou name." He apologized while sounding calm.

"No, no! You're not to blame, Sidier. We forgot about your coming since we were engrossed in our talk. There'll be no punishment." Saruba quickly told him.

"By thou command."

"Good. The changes will include unlocking your capability for "free thought": up until now, I kept it locked to help you focus on your battles and such. But it has no sense anymore, so I'm going to free it. You might experience slight changes in your thoughts and behavior as well as emotions you didn't know until now. Another change will include unlocking a secret form I installed into you but which I deemed to be too powerful for you to use: I wanted you to know the limitations of your own power before being allowed to use it."

"I shall have to train to gain experience with the new form, my Lord?"

"That's correct. But do not fret. You will always be here and live amongst us. Nothing shall be decided from the upcoming battles' results." Saruba confirmed before announcing.

"I understand. With thou permission, I shall be going." He calmly announced.

"Go."

Sidier stood up and walked back into his private room: it had a bed, a bookcase with several e-books, a small desk and a chair: Sidier looked at it with surprise.

_Intriguing. It would seem this room has been arranged to be like private quarters instead of a standard room…_

There was a knock on the door and Sidier opened the door: Saruba was on the doorstep.

"Are you ready, Sidier?"

"My Lord." He saluted.

He calmly sat on chair and Saruba pressed his fingers on Sidier's helmet forehead: Sidier closed his eyes and his body became limp.

"Alright, so…"

Saruba calmly moved his fingers while making some patterns for a minute or two before he removed them.

"Part 1 done…"

He then placed them against the chest emblem and a holographic screen with a lot of data being displayed on it popped out.

"Let's bring the program up."

He typed into it and the image of a padlock showed up: it was closed so Saruba inputted some commands into the screen and a key was inserted into the padlock, which opened.

"This should do it."

There was a sudden purple flash emerging from the chest emblem which startled Saruba and he stepped back.

"Whoa!"

It soon died down but a pale reddish halo could be seen around Sidier's body: that also faded and Saruba frowned and brought a hand to his chin.

"Guess the lock was too powerful and the program suddenly reintegrated with the spots it was missing at…" He muttered.

He then pressed his fingers on Sidier's helmet forehead again and he slowly opened his eyes: he displayed surprise as he brought up his hands and looked at them.

"… Sidier?" Saruba frowned.

"My Lord." He quickly stood up and saluted.

"What do you feel?" Saruba asked.

"… Eh… I'm not sure…" His speech manner suddenly changed.

"Does your body feel different?" Saruba questioned.

"… Maybe… I feel slightly dizzy even, sir… Eh… No. My Lord." He replied before switching titles.

"Hum… It'd seem the unlocked segments of your AI program are trying to react to your experiences… You might automatically switch speak methods, but don't mind it. It's not like I'm a maniac with them." Saruba guessed.

"I understand. I believe "manias" per se aren't good to one's health." He saluted.

"Well… That depends…" Saruba scratched the back of his head.

"… I now feel a powerful presence inside of me… Could this be the secret from thou were speaking about, sir?"

"Yeah. But don't trigger it yet. It's still rooting into your program after I locked it down… Guess I rushed it up too much."

"By thou command."

"Good. Take a rest and you'll then face against Solo." Saruba smiled and patted his right shoulder.

"Ah… Roger." He seemed surprised by the familiarity.

"Sidier. Even if you are a new warrior, we're all of the same age and stature, so… Don't be surprised if we try to be friendly with you. I might be the Emperor. But, normally, I don't believe myself to be different from my friends. Do you understand?" Saruba told him.

"… Eh… I think so, my Lord." He admitted.

"Maybe you need a bit of time to realize it. Well! Don't mind it. There'll be plenty of time. Relax and welcome aboard this crazy ship which rides on a totally crazy ocean."

"Eh… Hah… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! I… I am sorry! But… I suddenly… found the urge to laugh, my Lord…" He suddenly tried to hold back his laughter.

"You mustn't feel ashamed. You're rediscovering yourself." Saruba reminded him.

"My Lord!"

Saruba stepped out while Sidier sat on the bed with a smile on his face: he looked relieved.

_I'm going to rediscover myself. Hey. I even switch from 'ware' to 'ore' as personal pronoun. I think it's somewhat more convenient. Well then… I should rest. _

"… Bring out the hammering hammer!" Somari seemingly came up with another pun.

"Somari – chan… What do you want now?" Saruba sighed in defeat at her behavior.

"Tee, heh, heh. To pester ya~…" She giggled.

"Lovely." He sighed again.

"Ain't it?"

"Jeez. Will you go easy on me? I'm not to blame for anything!"

"Who knows, Mr. Culprit?"

"I give up. I'm off to my room. I need something to cool it off. Tackling the Four Heavenly Kings in my Diamond game will do…"

"Yeah! Ryou, Bug Type… Kikuno, Ground Type… Ooba, Flame Type… And Goyou, Esper Type… There's only one girl but Ryou's got a nice face. I'll hack myself in the game and become his girlfriend. Tee, heh, heh, heh!"

"Oh come on. I'm off. The world's gone crazy."

_And it looks like I'll have to bear with eh… Kagehi – dono's odd behavior along the way… I'll have to bear with it somehow… _


	45. Chapter 45: Rock Man VS Hunter Man

**Chapter 45: Hunter Man VS Rock Man**

16:36 PM (Japan Time), Monday October the 14th…

"… Our current status is as it follows: of all the Silver Arrow members, we're missing two: Nemenaya Mies and Obihiro Shun. Her whereabouts are unknown but she's bound to make a move which will give her away. Concerning Obihiro, the Science Labs insider, we have no leads to his current whereabouts except for a single piece of data found on the Silver Arrow HQ, which said "Three Hills". We've been looking around and found tons of references scattered around the world. We are unable to narrow down our search without more specifics."

Enzan was making an exposition in a Net Police conference held in the Science Labs.

"…"Three Hills"… He could be anywhere, that backstabber." Netto grumbled and eyed his right arm.

"Otouto…" Saito looked concerned.

"Don't worry about it, niisan! It's not like I'm going to ask for petty revenge or payback."

"Ah. You should be glad: your arm finally healed."

"By the way… Where's Napalm Man at?"

"He's investigating the Silver Arrow HQ's mainframe in search of any detail we may have skipped." Laika announced.

"… Hey! Nenjiro! How's it going over there?"

"NYA~H! MY NAME _AIN'T_ NENJIRO~!" He yelled as he heated up the Link PET.

"Ouch, ouch, aw! You're too hot, dude!"

"Anyway! There's nothin' new over 'ere!" He reported.

"I suspected as much." Search Man shrugged.

"Yeah. He'll melt the ice cream." Blues joked with a smile.

Only Netto, Saito, Enzan, Meijin and Yuuichirou were left on the room after the meeting ended.

"I think I'll come home this evening. I need a decent meal…" Yuuichirou yawned.

"I'll be going to Maha Ichiban's: I've got some upgrades Hino asked of me so I'm going to give them to him." Meijin smiled.

"Are ya gonna go back to IPC, Enzan?"

"Yeah. We should arrange for the training…" Enzan brought up.

"Hmmm… Maybe Wednesday would do fine?" Netto suggested.

"Sure. I've got nothing important."

"Be easy on me, _Buruusu_. I've rusted a bit." Saito requested.

"Heh. But of course." Blues smiled.

"Take care, Enzan – kun." Yuuichirou told him.

"Thank you, sir. Good afternoon."

Enzan walked out of the room while whistling a tune while Yuuichirou barely repressed another yawn.

"I think I'll be going on ahead… See you at home." Yuuichirou announced as he stepped out of the room.

"Later, Papa!" Both replied.

"Hmmm? Mail… Hmmm… Netto – kun, Saito – kun… Do you have some minutes?" Meijin muttered before addressing them.

"What's up, Meijin – san?" Netto asked.

"_San wa iranai_…"

"An incident…?" Saito asked.

"Yeah. A pack of Mettools is messing with a router device."

"Ah. Piece of a cake, then!"

"You say "piece of a cake", otouto, but remember how much trouble those Mettools back when the Desert Man incident gave us." Saito rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Jeez." Netto grumbled.

"Anyway… The router is close by, so… Could you deal with it?" Meijin requested them.

"Sure! Let's go, Saito – niisan."

"Count on us, Meijin – san!"

"… _San wa iranai_…" He dully announced.

"… There! The Mettools…!"

Rock Man landed in a platform labeled "INT FA 8/0" and found a pack of five Mettools messing with the terrain: they stopped fooling around and quickly assumed a combat formation.

"Heh, heh, heh! Time for a warming up! Battle Chip, Zeus Hammer! Slot In!" Netto grinned.

Rock Man jumped and hit one Mettool with it, deleting it: the others formed a tower and hit the ground with their pickaxes at the same time to counterattack.

"Battle Chip, Shotgun! Slot In!"

Rock Man jumped into the air and aimed the Shotgun's three lock marks to each of the Mettools: he shot and deleted the three of them at the same time while landing back on the ground.

"Hmmm?" He suddenly frowned.

He spotted something shining further in and crouched to have a better look at it: the sound of a gun being discharged rang out and he suddenly dodged a blast which could've hit his forehead.

"Phew! Too close…" He muttered.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" A voice rang out.

"Who…?" He demanded.

A figure jumped out of the NVRAM/RAM/ROM area at the depths of the router and aimed a laser at Rock Man's right shoulder.

"Crap!"

Rock Man gasped and rolled across the ground to dodge a blast which tore a segment of the pathway off.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…"

The figure landed in front of him: it was covered in a black tunic and hood: some smoke was coming out from inside the right sleeve.

"A "Zoanoroid"…?" Netto wondered.

"No way. We defeated the incomplete "Super Cybeast" the "Professor" had been regenerating back on January!" Rock Man corrected.

"True! I mistook Zero for a "Zoanoroid" at a first glance, too." Netto admitted.

"… _Dete yu a boya ayu do yo e no hii…_" It muttered in a distorted voice and sounding like it spoke a foreign idiom.

"… Weird. Isn't that "Beyondard" language?" Netto frowned.

"Yeah… It looks similar." Rock Man frowned.

"… _Ta no bo kuu noa so…_" It muttered next.

"I don't get it at all." Rock Man muttered.

"… _Je te vais jeter par dessus-bord! Par dessus-bord, tu entends_!" It suddenly switched idioms.

"French…? "I'm going to throw your overboard! Overboard, do you get me?"… You sound like a pirate." Rock Man told him.

"… _Hi ha una bomba a la bodega!"_

"Catalan…? "There's a bomb on the bay!" … The cargo bay, you mean to say…?" Rock Man frowned.

"… _Pas question de vous embarquer! Votre appareil ne nous intéresse pas!_" The figure switched to French again.

"French again… "You needn't come onboard! We are not interested in your machine!"… What machine?" Rock Man frowned.

"Something about this guy gives me a vibe." Netto grimly muttered.

"… _Non! Pas demain! Jamais!"_

"…"No! Not tomorrow! Never!" … What are you getting at?" Rock Man questioned.

"… _Vous êtes peut-être sourd, mille sabords! Mais vous n'êtes sûrement pas aveugle, hein!"_

"…"'You're totally deaf, a thousand sabers! But you surely aren't short -sighted, huh!"… Oi. I'm not deaf." Rock Man grumbled.

"And none of us is short – sighted, either." Netto added.

"… _Votre appareil ne nous intéresse pas!_"

"… "We are not interested in your machine!" … Will you tell us what machine do you mean already?" Rock Man annoyingly questioned.

"… A shark-shaped pocket submarine…" The figure announced while using a distorter.

"Shark-shaped pocket submarine…? Guess it was too ugly." Netto guessed while lifting his eyebrows.

"Oh. I haven't introduced myself… I'm the Tyrannical Being which wishes the world… The absolute power to rule over it… The Three Virtues. That's my goal." The figure announced.

"_Shuuen no Mono_… And since you "wish" the world, then, instead of being "End" or "Apocalypse", Shuuen stands for "Tyranny"…" Rock Man muttered aloud.

"Do you know which the quickest road to Hell is?" He asked.

"No. And we don't wanna know, either."

"Heh, heh, heh. I'd like to show it to you two. But… I'm afraid I haven't got permission from Demon God – sama… He might want to dispose of you at a later time…" The figure chuckled.

"That distorter doesn't hide that you're a man." Rock Man pointed out while looking unimpressed.

"Ah. But it helps build up suspense. And before you two ask… I am not Emperor S – sama."

"… That smoke coming out of your right arm earlier… You have a gun hidden there." Rock Man told him.

"Oh? Who knows?" He teased.

"… The Mettools were bait to lure us here."

"Bravo, Hikari."

"You're not Salome. And I doubt you being one of her proxies, either. The way you called Netto – kun sounds like an enemy." Rock Man narrowed his eyes and sounded suspicious.

"Catching up, it'd seem." The man sounded like he was smiling.

Rock Man merely drew the Rock Buster and aimed it to him while the man lifted his right arm and a thin red laser aimed for Rock Man's right eye.

"They say the eyes are the pride of a warrior. I'm going to rob you of it and then I'll fill your mind with petty revenge…" He announced.

Rock Man didn't move nor show any fear or surprise: Netto merely kept a serious face.

"Craving your own grave, I can see. You'll soon be buried." The man told Rock Man.

"Hmpf. You yourself said you needed permission." Rock Man shot back while being unimpressed.

"Hmpf. It's way of speaking." He countered.

"Charge Shot!"

Rock Man suddenly let out the Charge Shot and it hit the chest of the cloak, setting it on fire and making it be deleted at a slow rate: he stepped back and the cloak finally disappeared to reveal Hunter Man.

"You lowlife!" Netto roared.

"Hmpf." He put up a smug smile.

"You…! Where's your smug-faced master?" Rock Man made a grimace and questioned.

"You mean me, Hikari Saito." Obihiro announced as he opened his communications screen.

"Obihiro! You lowlife…!" Netto hissed.

"Hmpf."

"So! Ivan and Sergei are hiding with you two." Rock Man guessed as he aimed the Rock Buster.

"Wrong. I dunno where they went to but they haven't bothered to contact me, either. But I can handle on my own: they appointed me as their backup." Obihiro shrugged.

"Damn. They were ten steps ahead." Netto cursed.

"Hunter Man! Show them your power. But remember: no deletion. Ivan and Sergei must want to settle this later on."

"Roger." Hunter Man confirmed.

"Bestialize Chip, Greiga! Slot In!" Netto announced.

"UA~H!"

Rock Man assumed his "Greiga" form and readied his claws while slowly circling around Hunter Man like a feral trying to attack its prey.

"Hmpf. Fitting! The Hunter hunts the Beast." Hunter Man smugly announced.

"Beast Breath!"

Rock Man shot fire towards Hunter Man: he quickly ran forward.

"Damn."

Rock Man jumped into the air to dodge as Hunter Man shot an Electrical Element blast of energy which crossed through the space Rock Man had been at a second ago.

"Greiga Claw!"

He jumped back into the ground and quickly delivered some cuts to Hunter Man: he stepped back but looked unaffected.

"Damn. He disabled the pain receptors." Rock Man cursed.

"Yeah. But you're going to experience nothing before you plunge into eternal sleep." Hunter Man grinned.

"Shotgun Mode: Ice Shotgun!" Obihiro commanded.

"Ice Blast!"

The shot hit the ground and it began to quickly freeze: Rock Man jumped into the air to dodge but found Hunter Man in front of his noses.

"Beast Breath!"

The fire and consequent heat forced Hunter Man to pull back while Rock Man aimed it at the ground to melt a patch: it soon began to regenerate, however.

"Bestialize Chip, Falzer! Slot In!"

"HRA~H!"

Rock Man switched to Falzer form to stay airborne while Hunter Man used a jetpack akin to the Jet Vernier while his shotgun shone with a red aura as if to hint its element.

"Fire Blast!"

The blast shot towards Rock Man, but he cancelled the fly ability and fell down before engaging it again.

"Heh!"

But Hunter Man was already there and his shotgun shone with a green aura.

"Grass Blast!"

Rock Man shot skywards and looked down towards his opponent.

"Feather Shoot!"

Hunter Man got hit by all of the feathers but didn't stop his jump towards Rock Man.

"Falzer Claw!"

The claw closed around Hunter Man's chest emblem but he calmly placed the shotgun on the spot of Rock Man's privates: he gasped.

"Shotgun Blast!"

The blast propelled Rock Man away and blew up the bodysuit covering that area even with the Falzer form's extra armor: he landed on the ground, hard.

"Damn…!"

Hunter Man landed in front of him and brought the left hand to his shades for a second before lowering it.

"Well? Weren't those quite uncomfortable beneath that tight bodysuit, Rock Man?" He taunted.

"Battle Chip, Recovery 100! Slot In!"

The bodysuit repaired and Rock Man stood up while looking rather annoyed.

"You took a photo of me!" He cursed.

"Someone might like it." He enigmatically replied.

"You mean Salome. You will approach her and give her this photo to fuel her lust." Rock Man guessed.

"Heh, heh, heh."

"Playtime's over… Battle Chip, Bug Sword! Slot In!"

Hunter Man drew a grey-colored Long Sword with some square yellow-colored dots scattered over its surface.

"Bug Sword… That sounds bad."

"I better stay as far as possible from it." Rock Man muttered.

"Battle Chip, Custom Sword, Mega Cannon! Double Slot In!" Netto announced.

Rock Man drew the Custom Sword and the Mega Cannon: he clashed with the enemy's Bug Sword and then shot the Mega Cannon at close quarters to push him back: Hunter Man returned at it and Rock Man used the same trick again.

"Che." Obihiro grumbled.

"Hmpf." Hunter Man grumbled.

He tried the same trick thrice but he placed the shotgun on Rock Man's right hip.

"Shotgun Blast!"

The blast kicked Rock Man away and he then jumped across the air to try to hit him with the Bug Sword, but Rock Man flew upwards and Hunter Man maneuvered the sword so as to not to hit the ground with it for some reason.

"Che. Come down here and fight!" Hunter Man growled.

"Nope." Rock Man shot back.

"Then I'll force you!" Hunter Man exclaimed.

"Battle Chip, Neo Variable! Slot In!" Netto announced.

"Sonic Boom!"

"Damn."

The Sonic Boom hit the Bug Sword by the base and broke it, causing it to break down into data and then vanish.

"There. I now feel at ease."

"Damn. There goes my plan."

"What plan?"

"Bug Style." Obihiro put up a smug smile.

"What!" Rock Man gasped.

"That…! Were it not for me and the limits of Rock Man's data, the whole world's Network could've been deleted!" Netto gasped.

"Yeah! But this time there'd be no stopping it: my Bug Sword had some factors which were gonna make your "Ultimate Program" continue on until your frame was overwhelmed and destroyed while it ultimately would collapse as a supernova and the massive data released would take forever to sort out and recompile!" Obihiro explained.

"Y-you're mad!"

"Hah. You don't see the subtleness of it thus you call me "mad". It's a perfect plan. And I'm sure Twilight must be stirring on his grave wishing he'd come up with it, too!"

"You…!" Rock Man cursed.

"You lowlifes would be better off closed in the asylum." A familiar voice rang out.

Forte suddenly dropped in from a higher platform and drew his Dark Arm Blade which he aimed at Hunter Man.

"Damn. Forte!" He cursed.

"Hey! You were the one who caused the Bug Style rampage to begin with, Forte!" Obihiro told him.

"It was an accident given the resonance of my incomplete "Ultimate Program" with Rock Man's own." He calmly replied.

"Che! We're not ready to face this guy… Hunter Man! Let's pull out: but we'll be back!" Obihiro grumbled.

"Roger, Shun – sama! I'll defeat you next time!" Hunter Man proclaimed as he aimed the shotgun at them.

Hunter Man plugged out and the screen shut down: they sighed.

"Damn. The Bug Style again and he was planning to take it to a crazy extreme… He's become more dangerous, even!" Netto cursed.

"Yeah… And he's gonna make Salome come after me again." Saito cursed as well.

"Shit. What a headache… I'll be going back. Let's see if we can try posting a reward for info on Hunter Man's Cyber World transactions: it might lead us to Obihiro's hideout." Forte suggested.

"Good idea. Plug Out, niisan."

"Roger."

"See ya around."

"… Hmmm? Who are cha?"

"A freelancer… I brought something you might like, though."

Hunter Man was speaking with Salome inside of a Cyber Word decorated with purple torches which gave it a creepy light: Salome wore a black tunic over her body and purple marks under her eyes which made her look rather sinister and Hunter Man merely took out a small square and handed it to her before turning around and walking away.

"Farewell."

Salome frowned and looked at by turning it around: she gasped but soon made a sinister smile as her eyes shone with lust.

"Our clients will gladly pay a good amount… And I know who to use as bait to draw him out! Rock Man! This time around… You shall become a captive of the Sapphire Kingdom! You'll be my servant! Tee, heh, heh!"


	46. Chapter 46: Terror and fear

**Chapter 46: Terror and fear**

11:01 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday November the 15th…

"… Ah…! Break time…! At last…!"

"Come on! Otouto. Don't make it look like you couldn't keep on: that's bad!"

Netto was leaning his head on the desk during break time while Saito scolded him from inside of the Cyber World.

"Huh… Netto – kun."

Netto lifted his head and leant his right elbow on the desk to support his head as he looked at Hikawa: he seemed to be a bit nervous.

"What's up, Hikawa – kun?" He asked.

"Eh… It may be nothing, but…" Hikawa nervously trailed off.

"But?"

"Eh… I went to the B Classroom a minute ago to have a talk with Shuuichi – kun… Do you remember him?"

"I sure do. So?"

"Eh… He wasn't there, so I spoke with his classmates and they said the homeroom teacher had been called by his father: he took ill." Hikawa told Netto.

"Well… With these quickly descending temperatures, it's no wonder, I'd say…"

"… Eh… Netto – kun. I think Hikawa – kun's point is that something similar happened back when Meiru – chan was abducted…" Saito brought up while looking worried.

"But his father called this time." Netto argued.

"… Can I go speak with Hat Man? I won't be at ease until I can speak of it with him…"

"What's up?"

Saito looked behind him to see Blues there.

"Oh. _Buruusu_." He greeted.

"Is something going on?" Blues asked.

"Eh… Well. Shuuichi – kun took ill, but I somewhat feel uneasy about the fact… Thus, I wanted to go confirm it with Hat Man and Mr. Hat. Could you come with me?" Saito told him.

"Sure. It may be vital to double-check." Blues agreed on it.

"_Thank you_, Blues. I owe Enzan one."

"Don't mind it. You'll eventually return the favor."

"I'm going, Netto – kun."

"O. K. Take care, niisan."

Rock Man and Blues exited the classroom and headed into the main Cyber World's lanes.

"I remember Mr. Hat's address back when our investigation on Phantom Hat Man." Blues told him.

"Good." Rock Man nodded in confirmation.

"… Hello, Hat Man! It's been a while."

"Why! Rock Man and Blues. We last met back in… Late February? And it's already November! Time sure flies by!"

"Yeah. It sure does."

Rock Man and Blues were speaking with a Net Navi inside of a Cyber World somewhere.

This Net Navi could be over a meter and seventy tall and his main color choice was white: he had an overall magician look to him.

His face's skin was white and his eyes' irises were green in color.

A pair of diamond-shaped glasses which had reddish edges had been set over his eyes which had a yellow background.

Two black thick stripes ran down from below the eyes and until the chin as well.

His ear-pads had gray edges and their drawing was a simple white top hat's silhouette against a black background.

He sported a white top hat the sides of which had three rainbow colors (orange, yellow & green) painted on it and it also had a small blue diamond set on the middle of it near the lower edge.

He seemed to be wearing a white suit over his body which was open thus revealing his central white chest: a red bowtie was built over the center of the chest and his emblem was set there while three thin stripes extended across the chest below that split in angles.

His shoulders were shaped like cylinders having a dome on them: they had four white and four red stripes each and a lower edge which was reminiscent of a shirt's cuff.

He had no arms whatsoever and his white forearms with a red edge around the start of them floated at some distance from the shoulders.

His suit's lower edge also had color bands there and circled around the back of its length.

His pants were white in color too and undecorated: they ended as diamonds having a partial red skin covering the lower edge and part of the upper.

The shoes had a red soil and a red front while their main body was white in color as well.

"Is Mr. Hat at home today?" Rock Man asked.

"He is." Hat Man confirmed.

"Oh! You are the "Net Savior" Navis… Welcome. What's up?"

"Ah. Mr. Hat. Good morning, sir." Blues greeted.

The man, Mr. Hat, could be on his late forties or early fifties and close to a meter and eighty of height: he picked up the PET and placed the camera in an angle in which he could be fully seen.

He had dense brown beard and a partial brown moustache: his hair was also brown in color and so were his eyes' irises.

He sported a purple hat with a pale purple band circling it atop his head.

His main clothes were a yellowish shirt with an sleeveless purple vest over that which was decorated with the four Trumps symbols placed to form a square: Spade was on the SW, Club on the NW, Diamond on the NE and Heat on the SE.

He also sported purple pants with some pale purplish diamonds set in two rows of six each circling the cuffs of the pants.

His shoes were brown and normal.

"Eh… Excuse us, sir, but… Hikawa – kun went to speak with Shuuichi – kun at break time and the homeroom teacher told him you'd called the school to notify that he was ill…" Rock Man brought up.

"Ill? Shuuichi? No. He left this same morning, three hours ago, and he was perfectly fine!" Mr. Hat replied.

"Damn." Both Navis cursed under their breaths.

"But… If Shuuichi isn't at school… Where is he at?" Mr. Hat worriedly asked them.

"We suspect the handiwork of a dangerous individual. In fact, we'd considered placing protection onto your son, sir, but we dropped the guard because we believed that the individual wouldn't dare to act around this area again given the "WANTED" warrant on it." Blues explained.

"B-but… Why did they abduct Shuuichi?"

"They want to use Shuuichi – kun as bait to lure Netto – kun in… Its true target is Netto – kun, but since he has a lot of protection, it must want to force him to come unprotected…" Rock Man admitted.

"Damn." Mr. Hat cursed, for once.

"We will move out ASAP: we need to locate the individual." Blues announced.

"We will anything we can to get Shuuichi – kun back, sir." Rock Man added.

"I know you will. Please go."

"Take care!"

"Thank you, Hat Man. Let's go, _Buruusu_. Escort me back to school and then go contact Search Man along with Forte or Freeze Man: they should be more than enough." Rock Man told him.

"… Damn. So your suspicions were true."

"Yeah. The problem will be locating him."

Saito had returned to the institute and was speaking with Netto about the situation.

"Excuse me! Rock Man – sama is here?" A Navi asked.

"Yeah. That's me." He confirmed.

"I'm a delivery Navi. There's a message for you, sir." The Navi announced.

He took out a file and handed it to him.

"It's already been paid by the client. Have good morning, sir."

"Thank you very much."

The Navi exited the classroom while Rock Man checked the file which was only a few lines of text:

"…"Sapphire Kingdom. Densan City District 8, Takeda Shingen Square 13 B1F: come alone with your Operator anytime."… Hmpf. Idiots." Rock Man icily muttered.

"Yeah. Enzan and Laika will beat them up in the blink of an eye." Netto agreed on it.

"What terrible persons! Really!" Roll grumbled.

"Yeah. They'd be better off locked in jail." Meiru grumbled.

"Shuuichi – kun…" Hikawa muttered.

"Don't worry: we'll rescue him and finally beat Nemenaya!" Netto reassured him.

"This it: the final foe. And we're going to take it down." Rock Man icily muttered while narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah. They're done for." Netto nodded in agreement.

"… Salome. Time?"

"It has been at it for 8:44."

"Hmpf. Another little bit…"

Nemenaya was standing on a catwalk inside of a warehouse: its windows were all covered in black cloths and the only lighting came from bluish candles which gave the atmosphere a creepy air.

Both she and Salome had simple black tunics over their bodies along with black leather boots and gloves.

Salome held the whip on her right hand while Nemenaya had placed both hands inside of the pockets: both of them had smug smiles on her faces.

"Tee, heh, heh. That photo that man brought over was worth it. That's the kind of subject our clients wish." Salome giggled.

"Yeah. And since we gave them a proxy address to begin with, our eight agents will be waiting along with their Navis. They'll threaten them with that other man's life if they oppose resistance and then bring them here, our HQ… The first stop will be the triangular wooden horse. Let's see how long they can hold on before going insane and becoming good slaves to be used and sold." Nemenaya made a smug smile.

"Yeah. We're geniuses, Mies – sama." Salome bowed.

"Hmpf."

Suddenly, though, a "Dimensional Area" formed around the area and the colors became distorted.

"What?" Nemenaya cursed.

"T-this is…!" Salome gasped.

There was an explosion as the front doors were blow up: "CF" Blues, "CF" Laika and Forte showed up on the threshold.

"Nobody move! The "Net Saviors"!" "CF" Laika announced.

"Give it up!" "CF" Blues commanded.

"You're under arrest: and there's no running away!" Forte exclaimed.

"Damn. How did they find this place? Did the grunts talk…?" Nemenaya cursed aloud.

"No. It was on their wagon car's GPS." Forte grinned.

"Che! Useless men!" Salome cursed.

"Laika! Forte! Stop those two while the Net Police gets here. I'll free Eboshi!" "CF" Blues commanded.

"Roger! Eat this! Darkness Overload!"

The blast hit Salome fully and she shrieked as her "Copy Roid" began to malfunction and frizzle.

"Plug Out!" Nemenaya commanded.

She returned to the PET and the "Copy Roid" exploded while "CF" Laika flew and landed on top of a beam in the ceiling while assuming sniping position.

"There's no blind spot." He announced.

"And I've blocked off all "Dimensional Converters", too." Forte added while turning serious.

"Hmpf. Guess my career will end up here… Whatever… Someone will eventually take over this spot or start a new business."

"Hah! Take that, vermin!" Salome boasted.

"Che." Both men cursed.

The sound of police car sirens filled the air and several officers rushed in while aiming their guns at Nemenaya.

"Nemenaya Mies! You're under arrest for abduction, attempted abduction, extortion, torture and illegal business!"

"… Over here…?"

"CF" Blues ran down some stone stairs into the basement: it was decorated like a prison and lit with purple candles to make it look creepier: he spotted several open doors leading into unlit rooms but they were empty.

"Which of these is the correct one…?" He wondered.

"Enzan – sama. There's a signature 20 meters further down the corridor: it might be Eboshi." Blues reported.

"Gotta hurry!" "CF" Blues muttered.

He found one last black-colored armored door with a lock: he quickly opened it and ran inside.

"I hope I'm not too late!"

The room was made of irregular stone blocks and lighted by reddish candles: the only item was a triangular wooden horse and a young boy (who had brown hair) was set on top of it: he was blindfolded and had a black leather band with a red spheroid on his mouth.

He had a thick adjustable black leather collar around his neck and a rope originated from the front of it: it split into another two which circled above and below his nipples and immobilized his arms from behind. The arms were placed parallel to each other and the elbow was tied with the wrist.

The rope then split into another which formed a triangle shape and was then tied around the edge of his boxers, which were slowly lifted.

His balls and cock came out of the opening: the boxers had been lowered from behind so that his ass was exposed.

The wooden horse had metallic restrains for the ankles and forced the boy to sit like he was on his knees.

Two clothes pegs with a small weight at their end were clipped to his balls and pulled them down and another two were clipped to his nipples: his cock's urethra had a white plastic plug on it.

Three black-colored and capsule-shaped small vibrators were attached with cello tape to his cock's head and to his nipples.

Two large black-colored 5cm wide vibrator filled with spots had been forced wholly into his insides.

"Kami – sama! Eboshi!" "CF" Blues gasped.

The body was currently struggling as evidenced by his movements and his sudden seizures: he looked in pain as well.

"I'll stop this!"

"CF" Blues quickly ran next to him and took out the urethra plug: Eboshi's cock suddenly let out large and vigorous spurts of cum which stained his whole body as he arched it backwards: he suddenly collapsed forward while leaning his head on the horse's own one.

"Damn!"

"CF" Blues quickly broke the ropes and crushed all of the vibrators before he ripped the restrains out of the horse and carefully separated Eboshi from it as he deposited him on the ground with care.

"Eboshi…!"

He took out the leather band around his mouth and the blindfold: he was unconscious and had a grimace on his face.

"Battle Chip, Hell's Burner!"

"CF" Blues set fire to the wooden horse and the heap of S&M stuff.

"Burn up, damned you!"

He picked the middle school uniform, which was tossed into a corner of the ground along with his socks, sneakers and backpack, and the unconscious boy.

"Let's get outta this damned place."

He ran out of the room and stopped in the corridor to dress him back: he then loaded him into his back again and came out upstairs: the black cloths had been removed to allow daylight inside of the warehouse.

"Cross Out!"

He picked the Link PET and then loaded Shuuichi into his back as they headed over towards Misaki's car.

"Please drive to the nearest hospital." He requested.

"Count on me, Enzan – kun." He confirmed.

Enzan climbed into the rear seat next to the unconscious Shuuichi and looked at his own reflection in the window.

_The last freelancer has been arrested… But we've had to pay a high price for it. It might be the biggest we've ever had to pay… _He reflected while looking saddened.

"… Oh. Netto – kun. It's been a while…"

"How is Shuuichi – kun, Mr. Hat?"

Netto had come to the hospital after school and was speaking with Mr. Hat just outside of the room.

"He hasn't awakened yet. He seems to be having nightmares…"

"I see… Can I come in?" Netto asked.

"Please do…" Mr. Hat invited.

Netto stepped inside and sat down on a chair: Eboshi was clad in hospital pajamas and had an EEG sensor hidden by bandages around the head.

"Shuuichi… kun…"

He also had an IV on his right arm supplying him nutrients: he also had an oxygen mask on but the EEG levels were flat by now.

"… Shuuichi – kun… I'm sorry… I… dragged you into this. If only we'd kept the security… This wouldn't have happened…" Netto muttered.

"We aren't perfect, otouto. We've done what we could." Saito replied while looking worried.

"Huh… Huh… Huh… What… is happening… to me…? I feel… strange… my body… I can't see… I can't speak… My body… it shakes… I feel… something… which wants to come out… but I can't… Why…? Why are those two ladies doing this to me…? Have I… behaved badly…? No… This can't be… They're bad people… They want… to do the same to… Netto – kun and Rock Man… Let me go… Please… Let me… release it… I'm going to… lose consciousness…"

"Ah!" Both gasped.

"Who am I…? Where am I…? Black… All is black but… I'm alive… And it's the morning… So why…?"

They gasped as Eboshi began to muttered aloud and stir: the EEG graphs increased to "subconscious/dream" level.

"Shuuichi- kun…" Netto muttered.

"He's having a nightmare…" Saito muttered.

He suddenly fell asleep and the EEG graph dropped to the "unconsciousness" level.

"… Enzan told me he was forced to endure it for over ten minutes… It must've been horrible for him and we can't know the extent of how much trauma this has caused to him." Netto sighed.

"… Shuuichi – kun… Please be strong. We believe in you, Shuuichi – kun…!" Saito muttered.

"… Unh… Hospital…? What happened…?"

Eboshi finally opened his eyes (the irises were chestnut brown just like Netto's) and looked around in a confused and sluggish manner some hours later: he spotted Netto dozing off on the visitor's chair and Saito sitting to his right while also sleeping.

"Whoa…! Netto – kun and Rock Man…? How did he come out into the real world…? Wow… He has so much hair under the helmet… He looks like a real person… Hum… I remember going off to school, but… I can't remember anything else…" He muttered before frowning.

Saito began to mumble: he yawned and stretched before he rubbed his eyes: he looked at Eboshi, who returned the gaze: Saito suddenly gasped and snapped out of his sleepy state.

"Shuuichi – kun! You opened your eyes!" He sounded relieved.

Netto snapped out of his sleep and quickly woke up as he stood up and leaned towards him.

"Shuuichi – kun! Finally… I'm so glad…" Netto made a weak smile.

"Huh… Netto – kun… What happened? I can't remember why I've ended up in the hospital."

"Eh… You can't?"

Mr. Hat entered the room and gasped in surprise: he quickly ran towards the bed and hugged his son.

"Shuuichi…! You're finally awake…" He sounded relieved.

"Dad… What happened? I can't remember anything and it looks like I ended up on the hospital for some reason or another… Was I hit by a car or something like that?" He asked while sounding confused.

"Eh… No. What do you remember?"

"I go to school, but… I vaguely remember being in class before I suddenly felt very hot and I seemingly lost consciousness…" He frowned.

"Ah… Then… Maybe the heater's temperature was too much for you since you're not used to very hot temperatures, so…"

"So?"

"You lost consciousness and the teacher decided to call an ambulance just in case." Mr. Hat seemingly improvised.

"Oh… So that's what happened! What a silly thing, really… To think I missed the rest of the day's classes because of this…!" He sounded slightly annoyed by now.

"Don't worry! I'm sure your classmates will lend you their notes." Netto reassured him.

"By the way… Rock Man…" Eboshi called out to him.

"Could you please call me "Saito" instead? It sounds more personal."

"Eh… Okay. Then… Saito – kun. I'd never thought you had so much hair under your helmet!"

"Eh… I do. Papa programmed it into me to help me look more real."

"Oh… I see. And "Saito – kun" sure sounds more personal… Can I call you like that from now on?" He asked with a smile.

"Go ahead."

"Heh, heh! Saito – niisan steals the spotlight again! He loves to be on the front row and to shine brighter than Bright Man's _check it out_ motto! Heh, heh!" Netto improvised a joke.

"Jeez. Netto – kun."

"Guess he does." Mr. Hat smiled.

"Mr. Hat, sir… I don't see the point of it, sir." He politely argued with him in a defeated tone of voice.

"Come on! Don't be that dry, young man."

"I try to, sir, but I'm logic-oriented. For me there's nothing random and there's always some logic behind it, sir." He argued next.

"Oh. Well. That's how we are: random."

"Lovely. My worst nightmare. Randomness drives me crazy: I always want all bits and bytes of code to be there for a reason."

"Wow. So that's how Navis see the world…"

"Of course! Data always has some logic to it. Each Byte is made of 8 bits, and each bit represents on/off. And with 8 bits you can achieve up to 255 combinations including 0. IPV4 addresses are 4 clusters of 8 bits each: 32 bits in total. The max address is 255 – 255 – 255 – 255… And that's reserved for broadcasting… And each chip is made up of several "logic gates" and other micro-components which are built into it. All fabrication must be done in dust-free environments." He began to expose as if he was a teacher lecturing his students.

"Wow."

"One IR sensor contains a diode and a transistor into it and has a set sensitivity… Temperature sensors are made of materials which are temperature-sensible and generate an electrical current which can then be transformed to produce an understandable output…"

"Well! I guess he'll be a teacher one day. Heh, heh, heh!" Netto improvised another joke.

"Yeah. Guess so… Anyway. All's fine if it ends well!"

"By the way, is Dekao – kun still boasting?"

"Now he says he'll become a famous sculptor."

"A sculptor? I'd rather say he'd do for a kitchen assistant: doesn't he cooperate part-time with that Curry Shop, Maha Ichiban's?" He seemingly recalled.

"True. But he gets obsessed over silly things and his master has to be very strict with him. Or else he doesn't make anything eatable."

"Guess I'll check it out one day. Now I feel like sleeping…"

"Sure. Sleep well, Shuuichi – kun."

Eboshi fell asleep with a grin on his face and the others smiled as well…


	47. Chapter 47: Sidier's Mission

**Chapter 47: Sidier's Mission**

09:48 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday November the 16th…

"… You mercenary~!"

"Wha~t?"

"I've had enough!"

"Oi, oi!"

"You're fired!"

"Don't say that, Nenjiro!"

"I AIN'T NENJIRO~!"

"Ouch, ouch! Hot, hot!"

Rokushadama and Napalm Man were having another of their endless discussions and, as usual, Napalm Man heated up the computer.

"I'm not gonna sweat 'cause ya want some money!" Napalm Man told Rokushadama with obvious annoyance on his voice.

"But…!"

"No "buts"! Hmpf! I'm off to talk with Fire Man and the others!" Napalm Man announced.

"O… Oi..!"

Napalm Man warped out of the computer while Rokushadama sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes.

"Man." He muttered.

"… That beard doesn't fit you, Hinoken!"

"That punk hairstyle doesn't fit you, Elec!"

"Those two…!"

"What a dilemma!"

Hinoken and Count Elec were discussing inside of Maha Ichiban's while both Madoi and Maha sighed in defeat.

"Heh, heh, heh. Eris strikes back." Wily chuckled.

"Eris…? Isn't that the Greek Goddess of discord?" Dr. Regal frowned and brought a hand to his chin.

"Correct, Dr. Regal – sama." Laser Man confirmed.

"Heh, heh, heh…" Wily kept on chuckling.

"… Cayman will do fine."

"Island Mistress strikes back!"

"Wha~t?"

"No good…!"

"Trouble…!"

Airstar had come up with a pun which Tesla didn't like while both Navis looked uneasy.

"Charlie~! Take that back!" Tesla yelled.

"Nope. It's reality."

"Charlie…" Gyro Man rolled his eyes.

"Tesla – sama…" Magnet Man rolled his eyes.

Gauss suddenly appeared with a bottle of wine and a cup which he left on top of the table.

"Oh! It's an Italian wine! Excellent! I'll praise you, Father." Tesla smiled and switched moods.

Airstar rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat.

"Don't make that face, Airstar – kun!" Gauss whispered to him.

Airstar merely slapped his face in defeat while Tesla tasted the wine with a smile on her face.

"… Your ability at handling herbs is improving, Jasmine. That's good to see."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Jasmine was classifying some herbs she'd collected and Cardamon was overseeing the task.

"You'll become a good healer as well, Jasmine!" Meddy told her.

"Tee, heh, heh! So true!" She giggled.

"That's my granddaughter!" Cardamon smiled at her.

"… Quiet."

"Yeah. The _Naraku_'s envoys are afraid of your _wazabi_, Miyabi."

"Hmpf. True."

Miyabi was hiding inside of a tree's foliage close to the middle school building and overseeing the street: Shadow Man came up with a pun of his own.

"Hmm?"

He spotted a person wearing a brown open tunic and a traditional bamboo hat: he also spotted Yuriko trailing them.

"Let's leave it to Yuriko to handle." He decided.

Yuriko followed the man, who walked past the middle school and kept on walking before he stopped in front of the elementary school.

_The elementary school… Is this one another creep?_ Yuriko wondered as she observed his movements.

"Shah, shah, shah! Yuriko! Let's be ready to jump on 'im!" Needle Man suggested.

The man stopped and clasped his hands while making a pose like he was praying: he suddenly ran towards a tree and climbed it up: he emerged from the top of the foliage and took out binoculars.

_I knew it: a creep!_

Yuriko quickly climbed into the tree and appeared behind the man, who didn't notice.

"Hey! You!" She called out

"Wha!"

The man got startled and suddenly lost balance, slipping across the tree's body before falling into the ground in a totally disarrayed manner.

"Hmpf."

Yuriko jumped down and took out her needle while keeping her distance from the man.

"Ouch… De masu…! What happened…?"

The man stood up and the hat fell off his head, revealing that it was Higure: he looked dizzy.

"Higure – san?" She wondered.

"Ah! Mariko – sensei's younger sister…! De masu!" He gasped.

"… You're not gonna tell me you were spying on oneesan…" Yuriko sounded annoyed.

"He was! He's a total pervert!" Number Man announced.

"Chut! Number Man! De masu!" He gasped.

"Shah, shah, shah! What a creep!" Needle Man grinned.

"Look. I don't mind if you're part of a fan club, but… Spying on my elder sister is something I won't consent!" Yuriko told him.

"Yikes! De masu!" He gasped.

"Now please go back to your store before it runs out of business! Will you, Higure – san? Huh? HUH? WILL YOU?" Yuriko commanded.

"WA~H! MY RARE CHIPS, DE MASU~! WAIT FOR ME~! DE MASU~!"

10:11 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Damn. Where the heck am I?"

"If you'd brought the compass along, you'd know it."

"Not that silly compass thing again…!"

"Yeah. Or get a map otherwise."

Dingo had gotten lost again and Tomahawk Man looked rather annoyed by his stubbornness.

"Yo! Wanna shake 'em all?"

"Yikes!"

Dingo turned around and took out the tomahawk to face Solo's hologram: he had his arms folded and sounded amused.

"Y-you're…! Oh! I remember! You're Bert Saxby!" Dingo told him.

Solo suddenly collapsed into the ground in an awkward manner before he stood up and looked annoyed.

"I'm Solo! Bert Saxby died in 1972!"

"Oh! Han Solo!" Dingo looked like he'd remembered it.

"WRONG!" Solo yelled.

"Wait, wait! The lone Far West cowboy, Lucky Solo! Netto told me about the guy: faster than his shadow!"

"It's Lucky _Luke_!" Solo corrected.

"Oh! Wait! You're from that pop music group: the Lone Wolves!" Dingo announced.

"Wrong…!" Solo sounded exasperated.

"Sorry! I got it wrong. You're from the Boston Punks!" Dingo tried to guess next.

"Do I look like a punk?"

"Oh. True. Eh… Oh! The Lone Detective: I can't be wrong!"

"You are!"

"What… Then… Are you an _otaku_?"

"No~…" Solo looked defeated.

"Dingo… You're stupid. Did you know that?" Tomahawk Man told him with a hint of annoyance.

"Wha~t?"

"I agree with your Navi: you _are_ dense." Solo grumbled.

"Oi! Netto is the dense guy!" Dingo protested.

"No. You stole the title from the guy."

"You're Wily's grandson, then!" Dingo guessed.

"Wha~t?" Solo sounded stunned.

"Ya came from "Beyondard", too, and ya also live in a computer!" Dingo announced next.

"Dingo… That guy comes from the Black Hole Area. Did you forget about it already?" Tomahawk Man corrected.

"Huh? But didn't we close it?" Dingo frowned.

"We did! But these guys have found out how to formed 3D images out of it. In short: he's Navi using a life-sized hologram." Tomahawk Man rolled his eyes.

"Huh… And I was sure I was on the right track…" Dingo scratched the back of his head.

"I dunno how you came up with the "Lone Wolves" or the "Boston Punk" since they don't exist." Tomahawk Man told him next with a hint of skepticism.

"Huh? They don't? I thought Hinoken liked 'em and he had the whole CD collection downloaded through iTunes!" Dingo frowned.

"No. He only likes the Flame Jerks." He corrected.

"Heh, heh, heh… Well then… Tell the guys that we're gonna show up again soon enough. We've been slightly busy over here, so…" Solo grinned but didn't get to finish.

"So you decided to screw the "ladies go first" rule. Didn't cha?" Somari's voice rang out over the radio channel.

"Wha! Somari – chan! Eh… What a surprise! I mean… I thought you were sparring at the Bog Temple!" Solo turned around to look at her.

"I was. But I suspected something might happen in my absence, so… I had a nice match with Phantom Black DS and I hurried over here. Where the heck is Saruba?" Somari told him before questioning.

"Dunno… He wasn't on his room, so… Maybe he headed off to Death Temple…" Solo nervously replied.

"Cut that thing off." Somari told him.

"Y-yeah! Well then, Dingo… Ask Maha Jarama for some of his _yoga_ meditation techniques: they'll refresh your memory!" Solo told him in a rush.

The hologram faded away and the radio channel shut down while Dingo blinked in surprise.

"Whoa. He's afraid of that girl… Guess she must be like Meiru – chan when she gets those moods!" He muttered.

"Yeah… I wouldn't want to get Roll's annoyance, either." Tomahawk Man muttered.

"Anyway… Tomahawk time!"

He searched on his jumper's pocket but didn't find it.

"I told Maha to keep it." Tomahawk Man announced.

"E~h?" Dingo looked stunned.

"Yeah. It's too dangerous." He added.

"… So… It'd seem the leaders of the Black Hole Area can project into the real world with holograms?"

"Correct, Princess. Dingo told me."

"Oh. I see."

Laika was speaking with Pride inside of what looked like the embassy's office: Pride was sitting on a chair behind the desk while Laika was standing at a respectful distance.

"However… It would seem the miss known as Kagehi tends to get some strange moods which make both Yamikawa and Kuroumi tremble in front of them." Laika added.

"They still act like high school students." Search Man told Knight Man.

"Intriguing."

"Well… I guess it must be hard to accept that you're supposed to be on your 30s when you have a body which is barely 16 years old… Thus, it must be easier for them to pretend time didn't pass for them and they're still in their high school age." Pride guessed.

"That is an interesting theory. If you'll excuse me, Princess, I shall present it to Hikari – hakase." Laika announced.

"Good. Take care, Laika!"

"Thank you very much."

Laika saluted and stepped out of the office while Pride giggled and looked at her framed photo of the summer camp back when the Duo Crisis: she giggled and looked amused.

"… I see. That's an interesting theory."

"High school… I was somewhat rebellious by then."

"Is that so?"

Laika was speaking with Dr. Hikari and Meijin: Meijin brought a hand to his chin and sounded like he was thinking back.

"There tends to be such a _cliché_, it'd seem." Dr. Hikari looked slightly amused.

"Yeah… Anyway… It'd seem they'll be showing up to tease us, so… I don't see a reason to be worried about them." Meijin shrugged.

"Excuse me. Might I use the "Dimensional Area" test area? I would like to polish my skills a bit." Laika requested.

"Go ahead, Laika – kun. Meijin. Take care of it if you may." Dr. Hikari invited before addressing Meijin.

"Roger. Come this way, please."

"Thank you."

"… So?"

"This afternoon would be good?"

"Yeah. Deal."

Blues had come to speak with Saito during break time at the institute and they arranged for their training session.

"This place feels much better sans any competency around!" Roll put up a smug smile.

"S-so it'd seem, Roll – san…" Glyde nervously replied.

"It's b-back to normal, desu." Ice Man added.

"Guts, guts! Guts Man – sama will…!" He began.

"… Protect Aki – chan." Roll finished.

"Wuo~h! GATTSU~!"

Guts Man ran off the classroom while Roll giggled and the other two kept on looking nervous: Saito gulped and looked over his left shoulder at her while Blues smiled at him.

_This looks dangerous…! I better be careful or Roll – chan will try to drag men into a date…! _He nervously thought.

"… Tee, heh, heh."

"Huh… What's up?"

"Man."

"Chut!"

"Be quiet!"

Meiru suddenly showed up in front of Netto's desk while looking creepy and sinister: Dekao grumbled while both Hikawa and Yaito told him to be quiet.

"Netto… I know it!" She announced.

"Huh… Know what?" Netto asked.

"…"Training"… You really don't do that." She told him.

"Huh… And what do we do, then?" Netto questioned.

"See movies!" Meiru told him.

_Phew. Let's fuel that train of thought!_

"Who told you that? Mama?"

"No. I guessed. I know Enzan – kun once invited you to a VIP screening of _Star Potter Reloaded 2_." Meiru told him.

"Ah… Yeah… Back when we defeated "Darkloid" Video Man and his string of hacked _Star Potter_ videos…" Netto recalled.

"Tee, heh, heh. I'm a medium! I'll soon be Miyuki – san's number one rival in the field!"Meiru announced.

"Yikes!" Dekao gasped.

"So? Do you want to keep on boasting?" Yaito challenged.

"That doesn't sound like a wise idea." Hikawa added.

Dekao hung his head down in defeat, the other two sighed, Meiru kept on giggling and Netto gulped.

"… Do come in!"

"Hullo."

"Ah! Kagehi – dono. What might I do for thou person?"

"… Ahem, ahem."

"Ah! I mean… What's up?"

"That's better."

Sidier had been reading a book inside of his room when someone knocked at the door and Somari stepped in: he began using his polite speech when Somari got a twitch on the right of her forehead close to the right eye and Sidier quickly switched speech manners.

"Do you where _Danna_ is at?" She asked.

"Yamikawa – sama…? I believe he headed to Death Temple… But I think he'll be back soon enough…" He replied.

"Hum. It's unlike 'im to go so suddenly and without warning… Could something have popped out?" She frowned.

"I don't know."

"By the way…" She made a sinister smile.

"Y-yeah?" He asked while his teeth danced.

"Turn around." She told him.

Sidier sat up, made a saluting pose, and then turned around: Somari suddenly walked closer to him and seemed to be looking at his back: Sidier didn't move while felt her removing a segment of the bodysuit behind the right shoulder.

"Heh. I knew it."

"W-what is it?" He asked.

"You have a kiss mark there… Red lipstick… And I only know one person who uses it…" She told him.

"Hum… But I don't remember anyone approaching me and doing that to me, Kagehi – dono…" He frowned.

"Of course you don't… Dia Iceburn DS tends to do this when people are meditating on their quarters. You never bothered to lock the door from inside, did you?"

"No." He immediately replied.

"I'll wipe this clean and speak with her. She tends to have these stupid jokes… She pulled one on Acid Ace DS time ago." Somari muttered with a hint of annoyance.

She wiped it clean with a handkerchief and then replaced the portion of the bodysuit: Sidier turned around and kept the saluting pose.

"Better. And remember: no kilometric speech on me or I'll have you sing "a – le – le" two hundred times." She warned.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" He saluted.

"Tee, heh, heh."

Somari closed the door on her way out while Sidier sat down on his chair and sighed in relief.

"Phew! What a fright… I almost thought I was infected with some bug or I had an error." He muttered.

He picked his book and resumed reading it while listening to some music using earphones.

"… Okay. Crown Thunder DS. Who told you that you could go and make that "electric doorknob" prank? All except Gemini Spark DS and Ophiucus Queen DS are knocked out!"

"Ah… But… I wasn't expecting to…"

"Don't you know your own body's electrical output values?"

"Eh… No… I never bothered to…"

"Jeez. You're so troublesome!"

Dark Ryuusei was discussing with Crown Thunder DS inside of the Death Temple's arena: both Gemini Spark DS and Ophiucus Queen DS were present there: Crown Thunder DS looked nervous and Dark Ryuusei looked annoyed.

"Che. I've got no authority over you! But I wouldn't be surprised if you're locked in your quarters until you apologize. Get me?" Dark Ryuusei told him.

"Y-yes, sir…!" He gasped.

"We are sorry to have called Emperor S all the way here for this trivial matter, but since Chief was knocked out…" Purple Gemini Spark DS apologized.

"… We needed someone to straighten the guy." Black Gemini Spark DS finished.

"We apologize." Queen Ophiucus DS apologized as well.

"Don't worry: I don't like spending the whole time up there, anyway. I need to walk a bit from time to time, too. Oh. I now remember… I thought of something to add more variety to the land." He announced.

"What would that be?"

"DS Viruses: I'll add several types and categories and they'll go on doing their own activities. But I'll program them to act like a colony. Maybe they'll even come up with something intriguing." He let out.

"Fantastic! We needed some noise to fill these empty lands." Black Gemini Spark DS grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh! We'll soon have fun." Purple Gemini Spark DS chuckled.

"That's a very wise idea, Emperor S!" Queen Ophiucus DS added.

"Then I'll fry them: Fish Viruses _a la _Crown Thunder DS! I'm so gonna patent it!" Crown Thunder DS laughed.

The other four grumbled something under their breaths and he quickly shut up while looking nervous.

"… So?"

"Eh…"

"So?"

"Ah! Eh… I'm not gonna sell 'em to bad guys, puku!"

"Good."

Forte was speaking with Bubble Man inside of the Onibi Island "Copy Roid" Production Factory's ruins: Forte looked slightly menacing while Bubble Man was rather nervous.

"S-since they'd want to steal us the method to make the world belong to the "Darloids", puku, then I'll keep 'em secret, de puku!" He announced in a rush.

"Fine. Just keep them under check." Forte shrugged.

"R-roger, de puku!"

Forte dematerialized while Bubble Man sighed in relief and sat down on the ground.

"…Can't be helped, puku! Let's go play with our fans, de puku! Heh, heh, heh, heh!" He muttered before grinning.

"… It'd seem there's nothing abnormal to report… But I should be going back to the base, nevertheless."

Freeze Man was looking up information somewhere and looked calm as he read the screen's text.

"Since there's a bounty on his hide, I doubt Hunter Man coming out in such a bold an open manner. But you never know. And I already deleted all those bounties on Rock Man and his Operator. Yes. Let's engage our diamond and head back already." He muttered while seemingly thinking aloud.

"… What will we do, though, Shun – sama?"

"Good question… I'm rather stuck!"

Obihiro was looking at his refuge's TV and had a bored face: he distractedly watched the daily news while Hunter Man was displayed in a corner of the open laptop's screen.

"I don't feel like coming out all of a sudden without having a good plan on mind… But what's holding me back is the thought of Ivan and Sergei wanting to claim Hikari and Rock Man as their personal foes… I wouldn't want to get in their way. Guess I'll have to pick another guy… Maybe Ijuuin and Blues would do."

"Yes, sir. Maybe this would be a wise course of action." Hunter Man seemed to agree with it.

"I'll keep on working on giant Viruses and Darkloids… Maybe we'll use them in case we have to stall for time."

"Roger."

Obihiro sighed and drank a cup of hot chocolate while Hunter Man began to work with several screens.

"… Oh… It feels good…!"

"Heh. It must."

Netto and Enzan were making out: Netto was on top of Enzan, who'd stuffed his cock into Netto's insides: he was rubbing his nipples while Netto rubbed his own cock using his right hand and looked ecstatic while Enzan grinned.

"Yeah… I had to stay a whole month off doing this… Now I feel like I wanna compensate for it!" Netto admitted between moans.

"Heh. Your nipples keep on being very sensitive."

"Yeah…! And I like how you play with them… They turn me on! I wanna feel more and more of it! Enzan! Don't hold back: be real on me!" Netto admitted.

"… Oh… _Buruusu_…!"

"Heh, heh. I can see that you like this, Saito."

Saito was standing on his fours while Blues was pushing in and pulling out of his insides while he used his right hand to rub Saito's own cock: he deliberately massaged the head with the thumb finger to make the experience more exciting to him.

"O~h…! My cock's head… It feels… incredible when you play with it, _Buruusu_…!" He moaned.

"Heh, heh, heh. It sure must. Get ready." Blues chuckled.

He increased the pace and Saito cried as he suddenly released and his inner muscles gripped Blues' cock: he also released and overfilled Saito's insides.

"Ah…!"

Saito collapsed into the bed from the effort and Blues closed his arms around his waist as he fell along: Saito panted and tried to recover his breath while Blues smiled.

"Oh… Oh… It felt… incredible…!"

"Heh, heh, heh."

He pulled the covers to hide them and continued making out with Saito given the moans which rang out.

"… So… We'll keep with the usual routine. Deal?"

"Ya know my answer."

Enzan and Netto had dressed back: Enzan was about to leave and Netto looked animated.

"Good enough. Let's go back, Blues. There's work to do at the office anyway and I wanna wrap it up."

"Take care, _Buruusu_." Saito smiled at him.

"Good – bye!"

Both stepped out into the balcony to see Enzan waving good-bye at them before he was out of sight.

"It'd seem there's gonna be an "interlude" before our next confrontation, Sairo – niisan."

"Yeah. I'm ready for anything. Let them come."

"… Jeez! Man! That Crown Thunder DS guy… What a headache he brought up! Anyway… I called you here because there's something we need to talk about, Sidier…"

"Command me."

Sidier was kneeling in front of the throne while Saruba was sitting on it: he looked somewhat tired.

"We'll be visiting _new horizons_ to carry out some testing of how far our potential can reach in its current stage. You'll be the main actor in here, Sidier. You'll have a commanding role and command some troops which you will test out. But don't feel pressured: we're not going to start until another week, so… There'll be plenty of time to prepare. Do you understand?" Saruba exposed.

"Yes, Yamika - sama." He confirmed.

"Good. Go and rest: we'll have busy days ahead of us. And, once we conclude this experiment, the show 'round 'ere will keep on…"

"Roger, sir."

"And check out _Pocket Monsters_: it's something fun."

"Well… I have, sir. I'm trying to get past the 4th Gym, sir, in the _Pearl_ edition, sir…" He slightly blushed.

"Don't be ashamed! It's a cool game, Sidier! Have fun with it: life is about having fun too!" Saruba animated him.

Sidier nodded, saluted, and returned to his room: he climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over him before switching off the lights.

_I'll prove my strength to my Lord… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…_

**THE END**


End file.
